Use of digital tools by human traffickers in focus of OSCE-supported meeting for law enforcers in Ukraine

Some 50 police officers, investigators, prosecutors and judges from six regions of Ukraine participated in a two-day roundtable discussion on the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking crimes committed with the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine on 21-22 September 2016 in Kharkiv.

The event, held at the request of Ukraine’s Interior Ministry and National Police and hosted by the Kharkiv National Academy of Interior, provided for an opportunity for participants to discuss ways to respond to the criminal activity of modern-day slavers empowered by modern communication tools. The discussion involved participants from Dnipro, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Luhansk and Sumy regions.

“We need to increase common understanding of the links between human trafficking and cybercrime and to enhance a multi-agency approach to the prosecution of such cases,” said Vladyslav Dubyna, Deputy Head of Department on combating human trafficking crimes, National Police of Ukraine.

An exchange of views and ideas was complemented by an opportunity to enhance knowledge and practical skills. Participants attended a selected set of training sessions on the issue from a specialized training course that was developed by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator for police officers. They learnt about the most widespread technologies used by criminals at each stage of human trafficking such as recruitment, transfer, control and exploitation of victims. A special presentation was delivered on the technologies used for communication and money transfer between traffickers.

The Project Co-ordinator is planning to use outcomes of the event and feedback of participants to refine the course for police officers and launch the development of a similar course for prosecutors and judges.

The roundtable discussion is part of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator’s project on enhancing the prosecution of ICT-facilitated human trafficking crimes in Ukraine, which is implemented with the financial support from Global Affairs Canada.