OSCE promotes co-operation among Eastern European law enforcement agencies in digital forensics and network investigations in combating drug-related and other crimes

Some 20 representatives of law enforcement agencies from Belarus and the Russian Federation began an OSCE Secretariat-organized five-day training course, from 4 to 9 June 2018 in Minsk, on developing co-operation among law enforcement agencies in digital forensics and network investigations in combating drug-related and other crimes.

The course aims at introducing police investigators to the basics of digital forensics and to train them in using open source digital forensics software to identify, analyse, obtain and preserve relevant digital evidence and use it for prosecuting drug-related and other crimes.

“Digital forensics and open sources investigations are gaining importance as the Internet and its resources are more and more used for criminal activities, including for trafficking in illicit drugs and psychotropic substances,” said Andrey Saladovnikov, Deputy Head of the Main Directorate for Drug Control and Combating Trafficking in Human Beings of the Criminal Police of Belarus. “Law enforcement agencies should focus their activities on tackling these modern challenges and continue gaining experience, building up capacities and exchange best practices with other countries in this domain.”

The course is organized by the Strategic Police Matters Unit (SPMU) and the Co-ordination Cell of the OSCE Transnational Threat Department with the support of Belarus’ Interior Ministry.

Rasa Ostrauskaite, the OSCE Secretariat’s Co-ordinator of Activities to Address Transnational Threats, said that in order to more effectively investigate cybercrimes, including those related to Internet use, law enforcement agents need to apply more sophisticated techniques and methods, such as digital forensics and open sources investigations.

“OSCE experts, in co-operation with other relevant organizations, are ready to assist national experts in tackling new challenges and threats by promoting best practices and applicable international standards, as well as by facilitating training of personnel and strengthening the capacities of OSCE participating States,” said Ostrauskaite.