OSCE Mission trains Serbian legal officials on cyber crime
Serbian judges, prosecutors and police officers participated in an OSCE training on cyber crime, 7 February 2005. (OSCE/Milan Obradovic) Photo details
BELGRADE, 11 February 2005 - The OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro organized a five-day training programme for Serbian legal officials on the increasing use of advanced computer systems by organized criminal groups.
The course, which followed up on a preparatory class held last summer in Belgrade, gave judges, prosecutors and police officers an insight into the growing sophistication of organized crime as a result of modern computer technology. They received briefings from experts from the United Kingdom police Hi-Tech Crime Unit, the Crown Prosecution Service of England and Wales and the Council of Europe.
"Computers are used by a range of criminal groups, for instance in the distribution of paedophile material or when carrying out fraud and money laundering," said Rory Field, the OSCE Mission's legal adviser on organized crime.
The widespread use of computers by organized crime meant that law enforcement agencies and courts had to have the skills to decipher the information stored in computers.
"This information may provide critical evidence," Mr. Field said. "There is an urgent need to develop the sophisticated skills required to collect, analyse and use this information in court."
The course, which followed up on a preparatory class held last summer in Belgrade, gave judges, prosecutors and police officers an insight into the growing sophistication of organized crime as a result of modern computer technology. They received briefings from experts from the United Kingdom police Hi-Tech Crime Unit, the Crown Prosecution Service of England and Wales and the Council of Europe.
"Computers are used by a range of criminal groups, for instance in the distribution of paedophile material or when carrying out fraud and money laundering," said Rory Field, the OSCE Mission's legal adviser on organized crime.
The widespread use of computers by organized crime meant that law enforcement agencies and courts had to have the skills to decipher the information stored in computers.
"This information may provide critical evidence," Mr. Field said. "There is an urgent need to develop the sophisticated skills required to collect, analyse and use this information in court."