2024
As we look back on 2024, we are proud to share a year filled with bold investigations, meaningful impact, and growing partnerships. Together with our global network of journalists, supporters, and allies, we have tackled some of the most pressing challenges in the fight against organized crime and corruption.
Our investigations tackled urgent stories that demanded attention. In the United States, The Steward Files revealed how private equity and real estate deals pushed one of the country’s largest private hospital operators to bankruptcy as it failed patients. In the UAE, Dubai Unlocked exposed the emirate’s role as a financial haven for illicit wealth. The Crime Messenger uncovered how Canadian-based Sky ECC’s encrypted phones became a tool for organized crime around the world. And as the world prepared for COP29, our Know Your Host series revealed troubling truths about Azerbaijan’s ruling family, corruption, and its role as the summit’s host nation.
OCCRP’s stories didn’t just expose wrongdoing — they sparked action. In 2024, our stories contributed to 17 government investigations, 89 arrests or law enforcement actions, and $800 million in seizures and fines. From new probes into corruption in Malta, Brazil, and Papua New Guinea to arrests in the Amazon timber trade, our reporting helped drive accountability on a global scale.
We also brought our network closer than ever before. This year, we hosted our largest annual network gathering to date, welcoming over 240 journalists, editors, and technologists from across the globe. Together, they shared stories, forged new collaborations, and strengthened investigative journalism, proving the power of collective action in uncovering the truth.
At the same time, we reached significant milestones. With 15 new member centers joining our network, OCCRP now connects 71 media outlets worldwide, providing them with investigative tools, security resources, and the support needed to report fearlessly. On YouTube, we hit 100,000 subscribers, and over 4 million people watched our documentary, The Chilling Story of Serbia's Human Slaughterhouse.
But beyond the numbers, 2024 reaffirmed the vital role of investigative journalism in holding power to account. As threats to democracy, press freedom, and the rule of law intensify worldwide, your support ensures that this work thrives. Every story we tell, every investigation we pursue, and every change we help spark is a step toward a more transparent and just world.
Thank you for standing with us in this fight. Together, we are creating a future where corruption has no place to hide.
Drew Sullivan and Paul Radu
Co-Founders, OCCRP
We lead collaborative projects with investigative journalists to publish hard-hitting stories.
We provide training, tools, and resources so investigative outlets can thrive.
We develop new technology and solutions that serve the entire industry.
We accelerate the fight against global crime and corruption with groundbreaking partnerships.
"These are people — journalists — who are so committed to the truth, to democracy, to fairness. They fight to get the truth out when everybody else wants them to shut up and go away. And they do it anyway, at great personal risk."
Drew Sullivan, Co-Founder and Publisher
OCCRP Brazil Editor Eduardo Goulart (far right) in the field investigating how U.S. retirement manager TIAA and a Brazilian sugar giant bought farms from alleged land grabbers.
team members around the world
member centers & regional partners
annual budget
publishing partners
stories and investigations a year
requests fielded by OCCRP ID
entities in OCCRP Aleph
“It’s really about the dialogue across borders, to be able to go bigger and more global against the corrupt and the criminal, who have already been globalized for a very long time.”
Paul Radu, OCCRP Co-Founder and Head of Innovation
The Dubai Marina skyline
Dubai Unlocked is a global investigative project revealing how alleged criminals, corrupt politicians, and sanctioned individuals have used Dubai’s real estate market as a haven to hide wealth and launder money.
Fines Levied and Monies Seized
Government Actions
Indictments and Arrests
Official Investigations
Civic Society Reactions
High Level Resignations and Sackings
Corporate Actions
Following OCCRP’s investigation into abuses in Romania’s timber tracing system, the country’s Environment Ministry admitted to its “imperfections.” OCCRP revealed how truck drivers submitted falsified photos to hide illegally logged wood. In response, Environment Minister Mircea Fechet announced a partnership with Google to detect fake images, acknowledging the same flaws exposed in OCCRP’s reporting, marking a step toward improving oversight of Romania’s vital old-growth forests.
After OCCRP revealed the details of Adani Group’s proposal worth US$2.5 billion to lease Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kenya’s President William Ruto announced he was canceling the deal after a New York court charged Adani’s directors with bribery.
After our False Transit investigation investigation with Buro Media, Verstka, and the State Capture Accountability Project, Ukraine’s anti-corruption commission cited the story in a submission to the U.K. Parliament Treasury Committee. They urged the U.K. to tighten sanctions on Russia’s military-industrial complex, using OCCRP’s findings as evidence of how Russian factories continue to receive Western components through a vast network of intermediaries.
Following OCCRP and piauí’s 2022 investigation exposing a scheme that laundered illicit Amazon timber for export to the U.S., Brazilian police arrested several suspects in 2024 on smuggling charges. Civil Police Chief Ana Paula Fernandes Mattos, who participated in the operation, told OCCRP she cited piauí’s story in a request for a precautionary measure to the judiciary.
“It was a very well-explained story, it detailed exactly how the fraud worked.”
Ana Paula Fernandes Mattos
Brazil Civil Police Chief
Readers turn to OCCRP for unique stories and in-depth reporting that reveal how modern organized crime and corruption function globally. OCCRP offers exclusive investigations, insightful features, breaking news, and expert analyses, providing a comprehensive understanding of the critical issues we investigate.
In 2024, OCCRP expanded its offerings with the launch of Scoops, exclusive investigative news stories that reveal new information and are often sourced by OCCRP member centers on the ground. Scoops this year included a look into a Belgian money laundering investigation that overlapped with a Ukraine war-profiteering probe, documents revealing Adani Group's bid for Kenya's largest airport, and the uncovering of a former Georgian defense official's real estate dealings.
This global investigative series revealed who owns real estate in Dubai, including alleged criminals, fugitives, political figures, and sanctioned individuals seeking to stash their money abroad. Reporters from more than 70 media outlets collaborated to expose individuals linked to crime, corruption, and sanctions — offering the most comprehensive look yet at hidden wealth in the city’s booming property market.
An OCCRP, la Repubblica, and Toronto Star investigation found that a Canadian faction of the ’Ndrangheta allegedly relied on insiders at two of Canada’s largest banks — RBC and TD — to help move and disguise illicit funds. Police wiretaps and court records reveal how the mafia-linked group used personal ties to bank employees to facilitate suspicious transactions, raising concerns about vulnerabilities in the financial system.
With our partner, SIRAJ, this investigation uncovered a secretive supply chain funneling European trucks into Syria, despite sanctions. Vehicles were exported through third countries and intermediaries, ultimately aiding the Assad regime. The report exposes loopholes in EU trade oversight and highlights how sanctioned states exploit weak enforcement to access Western goods and technologies.
This investigation with Buro Media and Verstka revealed that Kazakh companies exploited a “false transit” loophole to supply Russian military firms with European-made high-tech goods via Belarusian warehouses. This scheme, which bypassed sanctions through customs-free Eurasian Economic Union trade, enabled shipments worth nearly $5.9 million to reach entities linked to Russia’s war efforts.
This investigative feature uncovered how Gaza’s already fragile supply chain was being exploited by multiple layers of intermediaries, driving up the cost of basic goods well beyond local reach. Limited imports — hampered by inspections, destroyed infrastructure, and scarce transport routes — were further burdened by monopoly control over the Rafah crossing, where an Egyptian logistics firm and brokers allegedly charge exorbitant fees and bribes. The result: food staples that sold for a few dollars cost ten times more, pushing ordinary Gazans — already displaced and impoverished — into desperate situations.
This investigation revealed that Cyprus-based Dimicandum Invest Holding Ltd. helped Belarus bypass EU sanctions by exporting potash through Russia. Despite having no clear business presence, the firm received millions from Belarusian potash giant Belaruskali. Leaked documents suggest the company acted as an intermediary to obscure Belaruskali’s role in exports.
This investigation uncovered that at least 11 major state projects in Kyrgyzstan, costing over $137 million, were awarded to five interlinked companies tied to President Sadyr Japarov and his inner circle. These projects, managed by the Presidential Administrative Directorate, lacked transparency and bypassed public procurement procedures.
This investigation revealed how Iraq's dollar auction, established by U.S. authorities to stabilize the economy after Saddam Hussein's fall, became a conduit for tens of billions of dollars in widespread fraud, money laundering, and the enrichment of corrupt officials and entities across the Middle East, despite repeated warnings and evidence provided to U.S. and Iraqi authorities.
This investigation revealed how Sky ECC encrypted phones were distributed through Serbia’s most violent criminal networks, enabling organized crime groups to coordinate murders, drug trafficking, and corruption. Despite international bans, local enablers helped spread the devices, exposing systemic failures in law enforcement and the tech’s role in fueling violence.
Through this investigation, OCCRP and Investigate Europe revealed how alleged 'Ndrangheta Boss Angelo Figliomeni grew his power in Toronto by exploiting Canadian banks and legal loopholes. Despite asset seizures and a police raid, charges were dropped due to procedural errors, exposing Canada’s inability to effectively prosecute organized crime.
This investigation uncovered how Europe’s secondhand clothing trade is overwhelming Romania with textile waste. Under the guise of reuse, low-quality or unusable garments are shipped in bulk, polluting the environment and burdening local systems. The findings expose flaws in Europe’s recycling practices and the hidden costs of fast fashion.
This In-depth Solomons/OCCRP investigation revealed that a $20 million donor-funded water treatment plant in Honiara, Solomon Islands, intended to provide clean water, failed due to mismanagement. The Asian Development Bank awarded the contract to an Indian joint venture with a history of failed projects, ignoring local officials' concerns. Minimal work was completed, primarily by the overseeing minister's son.
The Know Your Host project examined how Azerbaijan, host of COP29, uses global events to launder its reputation. Two new investigations revealed ruling family ties among COP29 organizers and Azerbaijan’s potential conflicts of interest. We presented our best past reporting to show how the country’s small elite, centered around the ruling Aliyev family, has enriched itself by plundering the country’s wealth — often at the expense of its people.
This investigation revealed how executives and investors drained billions from U.S. hospital chain Steward Health Care through complex financial schemes. Enabled by private equity and real estate deals, the system prioritized profit over care — leading to bankruptcies, hospital closures, and a public health crisis fueled by weak oversight and corporate greed. Based on a trove of nearly 300,000 internal documents leaked from Steward Health Care to OCCRP and shared with the Boston Globe and the Times of Malta, the Steward Files show just how far hospital executives and investors went to cover up the chain’s financial distress while they enriched themselves.
The research and data team supports OCCRP’s global network with advanced OSINT and data expertise. In 2024, they handled over 1,300 requests, trained more than 100 journalists, and mentored fellows worldwide. Their work uncovered shady networks, powered over 40 stories, and strengthened investigations with artificial intelligence/machine learning tools that analyze documents, media, and vast datasets. The team also led major projects like Dubai Unlocked, linking millions of records to expose hidden property ownership.
Aleph
OCCRP Aleph is an investigative data platform that helps reporters follow the money. One of the world' s largest troves of documents for investigative journalists, Aleph lets reporters uncover key details about people, companies, financial transactions, and more. In 2024, OCCRP began careful experimentation with using AI to improve internal processes. Our data team used large language models (LLMs) to extract structured data from publicly available sources to add to Aleph.
2024 Stats:
users
entities
Journalism Cloud Alliance (JCA)
Launched in April 2024 and convened by GFMD and OCCRP, the Journalism Cloud Alliance (JCA) is a collaborative project that seeks to address the critical challenges faced by investigative journalism and data newsrooms arising from the significant expenses and constraints associated with cloud computing. This includes how to make data storage and processing capacity more accessible, secure, affordable, and sustainable. JCA conducted a comprehensive audit of the cloud infrastructure used by 24 journalism and civil society organizations to assess technical, editorial, and financial aspects.
Findings highlighted
Read more about the Journalism Cloud Alliance and its members.
The “Global Finance and the Enablers of Corruption” Project
In 2024, OCCRP launched a collaboration with the University of Exeter and the University of Oxford to create and analyze new sources of data on the professional enablers of corruption. The project, “Global Finance and the Enablers of Corruption: Identifying Enabler Networks and their Vulnerabilities,” utilizes OCCRP’s unique data resources, including Aleph. A team of political scientists, data specialists, and journalists will work together to compile information on the professional actors who provide services to a selection of high-risk politically exposed persons (also known as “PEPs”), which the academic researchers can then analyze to identify enabler networks and trends in enabler behavior. The collaboration represents the first-ever large-scale effort to marshal OCCRP’s data capacities for academic research.
"Armies of professionals around the world are helping corrupt individuals conduct their dirty business. Given the massive scale and secrecy of their work, we need silo-busting partnerships like this one to understand how these global networks function, and to chip away at the harm they cause."
Alexandra Gillies
Global Anti-Corruption Consortium Director
The Global Anti-Corruption Consortium (GACC) accelerates the fight against corruption by connecting hard-hitting investigative journalism to skillful civil society advocacy. GACC is led by OCCRP and Transparency International (TI).
Find out more about GACC
Journalists publish investigations
Journalists + advocates share information
Civil society advocacy + legal submissions
Real world results
In 2024, GACC advanced its four aims
Transparency International and other partners use investigative reporting to influence:
"Today's policy brief not only demonstrates that bringing together ground breaking investigative work with policy analysis can equip policymakers and practitioners with new ideas to tackle sanctions evasion, but also reflects the enhanced relationship between RUSI's CFS and OCCRP."
Justyna Gudzowska
RUSI Associate Fellow
From digital harassment to emergency evacuations, the risks are everywhere — and so is the urgency. OCCRP protects the lives of our reporters and their sources.
In 2024, OCCRP's Staff Safety & Security Team:
To ensure the highest level of safety and security, we focus on six areas:
"Security here isn’t just about protecting yourself; it’s about protecting your colleagues, your sources, your friends, and your family.”
Geoff Hunter
OCCRP Chief Technology Officer and Chief Information Security Officer
Our FreeKyrgyz11 Campaign
OCCRP’s network continues to be greatly affected by the global trend of erosion to press freedom. In Kyrgyzstan, once considered a beacon of democracy in Central Asia, the media landscape has dramatically deteriorated. OCCRP's Kyrgyz partners, including Temirov Live and Kloop, have become primary targets of government crackdowns.
Kyrgyz authorities arrested 11 current and former Temirov Live staff, accusing them of “inciting mass unrest” in a crackdown widely seen as retaliation for the outlet’s anti-corruption reporting. The arrests followed years of pressure on founder Bolot Temirov and drew condemnation from groups like Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists.
OCCRP responded not only by continuing to publish investigations, reporting on the hearings, and providing ongoing support to Kyrgyz partners, but also by launching Uncensored: The Kyrgyzstan Project. This initiative included an EPPY award-winning social media campaign — #FreeKyrgyz11 — that used the power of social media and community engagement to rally international solidarity. These efforts helped humanize the detained journalists and shine a spotlight on Kyrgyzstan’s deteriorating press freedoms.
Crackdowns, like the ones in Kyrgyzstan, have instilled a climate of fear among journalists and civil society, however, through unwavering support for our partners and our commitment to exposing corruption, OCCRP reinforces the essential role of a free press in upholding democracy and accountability.
"The situation is becoming worse and it feels like authorities around the world are far more empowered to target journalists."
Miranda Patrucic
OCCRP Editor in Chief
OCCRP enthusiastically welcomed 15 new media outlets to its global network, including those in new regions, like Latin America and the South Pacific, and those that expand our relationships with reporters in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. We’re also proud to help support media outlets working in exile, covering the tough countries of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Syria, and Venezuela.
Member centers receive digital and physical security support and access to important journalistic resources, like OCCRP Aleph. The media outlets in the network also help OCCRP and other member centers by contributing valuable local knowledge, data, and expertise. Learn more.
Ousted Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad
OCCRP named ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad as "Person of the Year" in Organized Crime and Corruption.
Assad’s regime was characterized by centralized control, suppression of dissent, and a reliance on a powerful security apparatus. His forces were accused of widespread human rights abuses, including torture, murder, the use of chemical weapons, mass detentions, and the targeting of civilians.
An unprecedented number of people — more than 40,000 — wrote in to nominate Kenyan President William Ruto for “Person of the Year.” Fueled by a contentious finance bill proposal, youth unemployment, and rage at their corrupt government, young Kenyans held demonstrations for weeks this past June and July, demanding that Ruto step down. The judges acknowledged the importance of public interest and outrage at corruption. However, since the award is given to the person who has done “the most to wreak havoc around the world through organized crime and corruption,” they ultimately chose Assad as the winner. Creating chaos for Syrians, Syria’s neighbors, the broader region, and the many countries affected by his criminality pushed him into the top slot.
“In addition to being a dictator like his father before him, Assad added unimaginable dimensions of crime and corruption, ruining the lives of countless people even outside the border of his own country. The political, economic, and social damage caused by Assad, both in Syria and in the region, will take decades to overcome.”
Alia Ibrahim
Daraj.com Co-Founder and award judge
OCCRP and partners received a number of 2024 EPPY Awards from Editor & Publisher. Wins includeNew Criminal Order for Best Investigative Feature, Dubai Unlocked for Best Use of Data/Infographics, and the #FreeKyrgyz11 social media campaign for both Best Use of Social Media and Best Community Service Project.
NarcoFiles: The New Criminal Order was selected for the Inter American Press Association’s In-Depth Journalism Award. The Centro Latinoamericano de Investigación Periodística (CLIP), OCCRP, and 40+ media partners published the largest investigative project on organized crime to originate in Latin America.
Syria: Addicted to Captagon, a joint investigation by BBC Eye and OCCRP, was selected by the DIG Award for Best Film in the "Investigative Long" category.
The Chilling Story of Serbia’s Human Slaughterhouse is a long-form digital documentary that exposes one of the most horrifying organized crime stories in Europe’s recent history. At the center of this investigation is a notorious Serbian gang that used encrypted Sky ECC phones to orchestrate and record brutal murders — shielded, allegedly, by powerful figures at the highest levels of the Serbian state. This story is not only about the brutality of organized crime but also about impunity, complicity, and the chilling intersection of violence and technology.
OCCRP’s YouTube channel saw extraordinary growth in 2024, reaching over 5.1 million views and adding nearly 87,000 new subscribers, bringing the total subscriber count to more than 135,000 by year’s end. With this growth, OCCRP was awarded YouTube’s Silver Award for 100K subscribers in December. Viewers watched more than 488,000 hours of investigative journalism content, reflecting a surge in audience engagement and global interest in our reporting. The clear breakout success was “The Chilling Story of Serbia’s Human Slaughterhouse,” which alone garnered 4.6 million views since its release in late October. Other top-performing videos explored topics ranging from gang wars and political corruption to tech-enabled crime, with several videos maintaining average view durations and retention rates well above platform benchmarks.
With consistent content and compelling storytelling, OCCRP has solidified its presence as a trusted voice on YouTube, using the platform not only to inform but to inspire action through investigative reporting.
In 2024, OCCRP’s social media presence saw significant growth across key platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and LinkedIn. Audience numbers increased by 9.6%, reaching more than 310,000 followers. Engagement also rose by 16.8%, totaling over 712,000 interactions.
Impressions across all platforms grew by 14%, with Instagram experiencing the highest surge at 168.5%. LinkedIn emerged as a particularly engaged platform, with an 8.1% engagement rate, up 45.3% from 2023.
OCCRP’s ability to connect with global audiences continues to strengthen.
The second annual Floodlight Summit convened top international investigative journalists who presented their reporting to leading producers, screenwriters, and filmmakers for potential screen adaptations. The invite-only event took place in December in Cartagena, Colombia, with participants from more than 25 countries across five continents. Several projects are moving forward.
Film and television industry participants included multi-award-winners Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, One Day in September), Maria Schrader (She Said, Unorthodox), Ramin Bahrani (White Tiger, 99 Homes), William Horberg (The Queen’s Gambit, Milk), Ziad Doueiri (West Beirut, The Insult), Sarah Timberman (Justified, Unbelievable), and Rodrigo García (News of a Kidnapping, Mother and Child).
Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalists were featured speakers and shared their experiences translating their books to the screen, including Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey (The New York Times, She Said). Patrick Radden Keefe (The New Yorker) spoke with producer Brad Simpson (Crazy Rich Asians, Hunger Games) about how they collaborated to turn Keefe’s book, “Say Nothing” into a highly-acclaimed Hulu television series of the same name.
Core funding allows OCCRP to direct resources where they are most needed. This flexibility is crucial in emergencies, whether covering a breaking story, responding to threats against journalists, or adapting to shifts in the funding landscape.
OCCRP is deeply grateful that an increasing number of our donors have full confidence in our ability to appropriately allocate resources across our network. In 2024, our core funding community has increased to now include the Dutch Postcode Lottery, Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundation, Founders Pledge, Bay and Paul Foundations, Skoll Foundation, Sigrid Rausing Trust, Golden Globe Foundation, Oak Foundation, and Fred Foundation.
With core support, our reporters can follow the money without hesitation, whether it leads to hidden assets in Europe, illicit networks in Africa, or offshore havens in the Caribbean. This ensures that no story of corruption or abuse of power is left untold simply because it does not fit neatly within a grant.
Around the world, investigative reporters face harassment, legal pressure, and physical danger. Core support allows OCCRP to act immediately, providing relocation assistance, legal defense, or emergency safety measures.
Core support strengthens the infrastructure that connects hundreds of journalists across dozens of countries: secure technology, editorial leadership, research and data platforms, and training. It is this backbone that enables us to work as one networked newsroom.
Alongside major institutional donors, OCCRP relies on the support of hundreds of individual donors to do its work. Through our Accomplice program, we provide this community with opportunities to meet our journalists, get the behind the scenes insight on our investigations, and explore some of the core issues tied to organized crime and corruption.
Join the more than 1,000 globally minded individuals who support us through this program. Become an OCCRP Accomplice by visiting our website.
"You shine a light on the issues that contribute to a more just, equitable, and ultimately sustainable world."
An OCCRP Accomplice
OCCRP’s end-of-year fundraising campaign, Don't Let Them Kill the Story, highlighted the rising threats investigative journalists face — ranging from psychological harassment and intimidation to physical violence and death. The campaign showcased OCCRP’s robust security system, which includes journalist trainings, a help line, and 24/7 rapid response support, emphasizing the urgent need for expanded resources as demand surges.
Through a dedicated landing page, targeted email outreach, and video storytelling from journalists across regions, OCCRP engaged supporters globally. The campaign also leveraged social media and high-net-worth individual outreach.
With a total of $100,000 raised, this effort reinforced the vital role of protecting those who expose corruption in the public interest.
Former Executive Vice President
Stockholm School of Economics in Riga (SSE Riga)
Founder
The Centre for Media Studies at SSE Riga
Dean
Klein College of Media and Communication, Temple University
Network Correspondent
Univision Network
Executive Director
Institute for the Future
Founder and CEO
Tiny Ventures
Director and Editor
Re:Baltica
Ex-Officio Director
OCCRP Co-Founder and Publisher
Ex-Officio Director
OCCRP Co-Founder and Chief of Innovation
European Education and Culture Executive Agency
Jed Ringel Foundation
Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France
National Endowment for Democracy
Patrick J. McGovern Foundation
Slovak Agency for International Development Cooperation
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
2024 Total Expenses
$24,052,057
2023 Total Expenses
$22,058,837
2024 Net Unrestricted Assets
$2,598,038
2023 Net Unrestricted Assets
$2,051,840
See full financial statements
