Human trafficking and modern slavery are routinely framed as key threats facing society. Despite increased media, policy, and practitioner attention the evidence base remains underdeveloped. The numerous knowledge gaps include a lack of empirical studies and research into labour trafficking. Since labour trafficking is a complex and varied phenomenon, we chose to explore one subset of it in a systematic, detailed, and empirical fashion. Our focus was exploitation in the casual construction industry in the UK perpetrated by Irish Traveller offending groups. We used hard-to-reach data from three major police investigations, namely operational case files and interviews with senior investigating officers. Taking a qualitative approach, we disentangled behaviours and dynamics across three major stages in the trafficking process: recruitment, control, and exploitation. We identified key challenges associated with investigating this crime. In discussing our study's implications for research, policy, and practice, we also include officers' recommendations for future cases. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

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