Chartered Institute of Linguists
SPRING 2026 The Linguist 15
FEATURES
communication among criminals happens
through text messages containing emojis,
voice recordings with specific accents and
often words from other languages. Although
my access to the relevant information is limited
to the source text, small clues can make a
difference for those relying on the translation.
The Netflix series Narcos illustrates how
language flexibility can be used to create
specific codes. In one episode, a young man
is groomed to take a package on a plane. He
is given the alias El Suizo (The Swiss Man),
ostensibly due to his blond hair and blue
eyes. In truth, the cartel has chosen the
nickname because it starts with the same
syllable as 'suicide' (suicidio). The man will be
sacrificed by unknowingly carrying a bomb
set to explode in midair.
These sorts of codes can inadvertently mix
with day-to-day usage, becoming apparent
only to those who are privy to their intended
content. The strategies to understand
dialogues and messages between criminals
are limited. Thesauruses, dictionaries and
machine translation are of little use without
someone who can envision the actual
meanings of the source text.
Ahead of any linguistic intervention,
investigators and prosecutors are clear about
the variation and creativity of criminals when it
comes to communication. However, there are
no rules that can be applied to everyone.
Criminals aren't always subtle and one must
be prepared for disturbing content. I have
been shocked by blunt text messages where
someone commands a murder, or dark web
chats where paedophiles speak about their
crimes. Translation agencies warn me before
sending these kinds of assignment, but no
one could be prepared to read these words.
At this stage, readers might wonder why
I continued working in this field after
translating my first traumatic document.
Why would anyone continue exposing
themselves to this kind of content? My
response is that it feels truly necessary to
ensure that qualified human translators work
in this field. If I can help bring closure to a
victim by ensuring a criminal gang can't profit
from the suffering of others, I will always
choose to support that aim. My only
condition: I will do it anonymously.
