OSCE trains Ukrainian law enforcers to fight IT-facilitated human trafficking crimes

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine organized a specialized training course from 5 to 9 October 2015 in Kyiv for 20 police officers from Ukraine’s Interior Ministry on investigating and combating human trafficking crimes committed with the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

The course introduced the participants to the specifics of IT-facilitated human trafficking and familiarized them with the most widespread technologies used by criminals at each stage, including the recruitment, transfer and exploitation of victims. There was special focus on the technologies which are used for communication and money transfers between traffickers.

“Development in modern technology open an array of opportunities for criminals, including human traffickers, to conduct their activities with high speed and often through anonymity,” said Vaidotas Verba, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine. “This innovative training course, which is in the pilot phase, will help police to identify and investigate human trafficking crimes that the involve use of ICTs.”

Vitalii Hlukhoveria, Head of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry’s Department on Combating Crimes Related to Human Trafficking, said: “Human traffickers are actively using mobile phones, tablets, Internet access and other means to not only to communicate with each other but also to recruit their victims, advertise and later sell their services. Nowadays, technologies often contain the most important evidence of a crime and to effectively address such crimes it is essential for every police officer to possess the respective expertise and skills.”

The training course, which was organized at the request of Interior Ministry, is based on a syllabus developed by international and national experts in co-operation with acting police officers from the respective departments of the Interior Ministry.

It is part of a project by the Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine on enhancing the prosecution of IT-facilitated human trafficking crimes in Ukraine, which is being implemented with the financial support of the Government of Canada, provided through Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD).