Two Italian university researchers say they have uncovered a secret code smugglers use to run migrant trafficking from the Sahel to Europe. The code uses simple symbols and emoticons on social networks to advertise journeys and coordinate moves, researchers told a defence congress in Rome.
The work was carried out by Michele Empler and Livio Calabresi and coordinated by Professor Alessandro Sterpa. They built an AI-driven web crawler to gather posts, images, and videos that smugglers publish openly online. From that data, they developed a repeatable formula to read the hidden messages.
Empler and Calabresi say the smugglers avoid normal language so their posts escape traditional security filters. Instead, they use a metalanguage of icons and short visual cues. These symbols can cross language barriers and reach many people while staying under the radar of standard monitoring tools.
Their analysis found not only logistical details but also the disinformation used to attract migrants. Posts often show misleading videos and images that promise easy trips, homes in Italian cities, and quick access to papers. Migrants see these attractive posts and trust them because they look real and verified.
The researchers also found phone numbers, contacts, and other signals hidden inside images and emoji chains. In some cases, the emoticon patterns pointed to meeting places, timings, and payment arrangements. This made it possible to map routes and networks that previously seemed invisible.
Empler and Calabresi argue that AI can be trained on their discovery to help national security. Their tool turned a chaotic online “ocean” of content into clear signals that expose routes, recruiters, and false promises. They say more funding could turn the method into a practical tool for governments.
The findings were presented at a congress on the exploitation of migration and threats to liberal democracies. The researchers believe their code could help law enforcement spot trafficking channels earlier and protect vulnerable migrants from deception.
If scaled up, the researchers say the approach could become a key part of efforts to curb illegal migration and save lives. But they also warn that it will take international cooperation and resources to follow the online supply chains and to act on the intelligence that the AI can produce.