Slovakia Boosts Fight Against Financial Crime with Advanced Investigation Techniques
Slovakia has taken a significant step towards strengthening its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) system by receiving expert training from the Council of Europe on the use of open-source intelligence (OSINT) in financial crime investigations.
Enhancing Capacity for Effective Investigations
The three-day course, held in Bratislava, aimed to enhance the capacity of Slovak investigative and supervisory authorities to combat economic crime using OSINT. The training was a follow-up to two previous courses on financial investigations and asset recovery and confiscation, which were also conducted by the Council of Europe.
Request from Slovak Authorities
The course was requested by Slovak authorities who recognized the growing importance of OSINT in detecting and preventing financial crimes. The Council of Europe’s experts shared their knowledge on how to effectively gather and analyze OSINT data from multiple national and international sources at a relatively low cost.
Course Objectives
- Enhance the capacity of Slovak investigative and supervisory authorities to combat economic crime using OSINT
- Provide training on the use of OSINT techniques in the context of AML/CFT, including preventive, investigative, and judicial aspects
- Equip participants with the skills and knowledge needed to conduct effective open-source investigations
Course Content
The course covered a range of topics, including:
- Setting up computers for safe and effective OSINT searches
- Conducting investigations on the dark web
- Highlighting legal and ethical limitations
Hands-on Exercises
The training was highly interactive, featuring dynamic lectures and hands-on exercises that allowed participants to “learn by doing”. Participants praised the training as “eye-opening” and “one of the most useful events attended”, with many indicating that it would impact their approach to investigations and prosecutions using open-source intelligence in the near future.
Impact on Investigations
The Council of Europe’s OSINT course is part of a joint project with the European Union aimed at enhancing Slovakia’s AML/CFT framework. The training demonstrates the growing recognition of the importance of OSINT in fighting financial crime, as well as the need for law enforcement agencies to develop specific skills and knowledge to conduct effective open-source investigations.
Conclusion
Slovakia’s decision to receive expert training from the Council of Europe on OSINT is a significant step towards strengthening its AML/CFT system. The training will enable Slovak investigative and supervisory authorities to combat financial crime more effectively, using advanced investigation techniques that are cost-effective and efficient.