Transcription and translation of recordings
Verbatim transcripts and translations of calls, interviews, voice notes and video.
Sector: Private intelligence and investigation
Discreet language support for investigations and due diligence
SILA Linguists provides accurate, confidential translation, transcription and interpreting of foreign-language material for investigation firms, corporate intelligence teams, compliance functions and law firms.
Investigations often depend on sources in other languages: company registries, court records, local press, social media, leaked documents, recorded calls and witness interviews. Missing a nuance, a name variant or a local expression can change the conclusion of a report.
SILA Linguists translates, summarises and transcribes this material with linguists who understand the region as well as the language. They flag transliteration variants, slang and coded language, and say clearly where the source is ambiguous, so investigators can judge the weight of the evidence.
We also provide interpreters for interviews with witnesses and sources, and expert support where identity or origin is in question, including language analysis and document verification. All work is handled under NDA, with need-to-know access and secure, GDPR-compliant handling.
What this sector needs
Language challenges in private intelligence
Absolute confidentiality
Clients, subjects and findings must stay confidential, with linguists under NDA and access limited to those who need it.
Gist or full translation
Large volumes of material often need a quick summary first, so investigators can decide what deserves full translation.
Names and transliteration
Names in Arabic, Cyrillic, Chinese and other scripts can be spelt many ways; missed variants mean missed records.
Slang and coded language
Recorded calls and messages may use slang, dialect or euphemism that only a native speaker from the region will recognise.
Evidential standard
Material that may end up in litigation needs verbatim transcripts and translations that can be checked against the source.
Document authenticity
Investigators sometimes need to know whether a certificate, licence or identity document is genuine.
How we help
Services for private intelligence
Document translation and summaries
Full translation or gist summaries of corporate records, court files, press and open-source material.
Interpreting for interviews
Interpreters for witness and source interviews, face to face or over secure remote connections.
Language analysis
Forensic analysis of a speaker's language variety where origin or identity is relevant.
Document verification
Checks on identity and civil documents for signs of forgery or alteration.
SILA Linguists®
Discreet SILA Linguists® services for investigations, due diligence and intelligence
Our vetted, trained and qualified linguists can support investigation firms, corporate intelligence teams, compliance functions, law firms and asset recovery specialists in understanding foreign-language material accurately and in confidence. Our transcription team transcribes and translates recorded calls, voice notes, messaging app exports and video, flagging dialect, slang and coded language. Document translation covers company registry filings, court records, corporate documents and open-source material, with summaries for triage and certified translation for evidence used in court or by regulators. Large data sets can be reviewed first through human-powered AI translation with an analyst-linguist checking what matters. Analysts receive summaries first, then full translations of what proves relevant.
For witness and source interviews, face-to-face interpreters attend in person, and video remote interpreting or telephone interpreting, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, reaches people across borders. Where the regional or national origin of a speaker matters, our language analysis experts and nationality assessment service can help, and our cultural advisory team explains context that a literal translation would miss. Interpreters are briefed in confidence and work only on the information they need for the assignment.
Private intelligence work sits close to our police and justice, legal and financial services services, especially in fraud, asset tracing and litigation support. SILA Linguists® covers more than 350 languages and dialects, including Russian, Arabic, Mandarin, Turkish, Farsi and Albanian, for clients in the UK, North America, Australia, New Zealand and beyond. Each assignment is staffed on a need-to-know basis, every linguist signs an NDA, and material is handled securely under UK GDPR. Findings are delivered in the format your report needs.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can you summarise documents rather than translate them in full?
Yes. Gist translation or summaries help you triage large volumes quickly. Anything important can then be translated in full for your report or for evidence.
How do you keep investigations confidential?
Linguists sign NDAs, access is limited to the people working on the matter, and files move through secure, encrypted channels in line with GDPR.
Can your linguists spot regional slang or dialect?
Yes. We match linguists to the region and community where possible, and they note expressions whose meaning depends on local usage.
Can transcripts be used as evidence?
We produce verbatim transcripts and translations with speaker labels and timestamps so that they can be checked against the original recording if they are relied on in proceedings.
Get in touch
Tell us the language, the format and the date
Our bookings team will confirm the details with you and arrange the right linguist. Have the language (and dialect, if you know it), the type of assignment and the date ready.