OSCE strengthens capacity of Ukraine’s Border Guard Service to counter criminal threats

The OSCE enhanced the knowledge and practical skills of 20 criminal analysis officers from the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) by providing a training on the use of specialized analytical software in investigating criminal threats. The event took place from 13 to 15 August in Kyiv.

Criminal analysis is crucial to effectively fight organized crime, including the trafficking of firearms and explosives, drug smuggling and human trafficking. As part of their work, SBGS analysts find hidden links between individual suspects and groups, detecting suspicious processes, collecting evidences and unveiling the ‘modus operandi’ of criminals.

The training course is the final stage of a comprehensive initiative that also included the provision of relevant software solution and hardware, as well as their deployment, integration and testing.

“Be it fight against illicit trafficking in weapons or other forms of organized crime, the role of criminal analysts is equally high. By implementing this project activity, the OSCE contributes not only to the SBGS’s law enforcement capabilities, but to the safety and security of people in Ukraine and in the region. Today it is important as never before,” noted Andrii Treus, Head of the SBGS Department for criminal analysis.

These activities are part of the OSCE extra-budgetary project “In Support of Strengthening Capacities of Ukrainian Authorities in Preventing and Combating Illicit Trafficking in Weapons, Ammunition and Explosives in All Its Aspects”, funded by the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Slovakia.