“Digging for Gold in Import-Export Data” with Bellingcat's Katherine de Tolly
About this episode
In the final Stage Talk of the year, we learnt the mechanics of investigating trade data thanks to this week's guest, Bellingcat research consultant and self-confessed data nerd Katherine de Tolly. Using the example of opioid shipments from India to West Africa, Katherine talked us through the intricacies of import-export data and how to navigate the many data gaps/inconsistencies inherit in the system.
The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on Thursday December 4th 2025. Music featured is courtesy of Artlist.
Recorded live in the Bellingcat Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/bellingcat
Links mentioned:
Katherine's slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1JvDqFnM-caIPo39ez3aennGa9iwB-NwWPh9VXAKUFgg/edit?usp=sharing
You can contact Katherine on: [email protected]
Money channel in Discord: https://discord.com/channels/709752884257882135/710247961426395186
Comtrade: https://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlow
52WMB: https://en.52wmb.com/
BBC investigation: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyew21yyjzo
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