Alongside many opportunities, cryptocurrencies and other virtual assets bring about a plethora of risks, such as money laundering, terrorist financing, fraud and more. To strengthen Moldova's crypto-related crime investigations, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), gathered 15 law enforcement representatives in Chisinau to foster their expertise in this area.
From 26 to 28 February, the training equipped participants with cutting-edge techniques and practical tools, including advanced methods for tracing criminal transactions across different blockchains, case studies highlighting real-world scenarios, best practices, and orientation with specialized analytics software as well as open-source tools.
"As we navigate the evolving landscape of financial technology, it becomes crucial for Moldova to prioritize the development of national law enforcement capacities, particularly in enhancing investigative and tracing capabilities related to crypto-assets," said Maksym Mishalov Dragunov, Assistant Project Officer at OCEEA.
"This is the third training on investigation of virtual assets for Moldovan authorities, and the OSCE will continue to support Moldova's efforts to combat money laundering, particularly through virtual assets and cryptocurrencies," he added.
The course is part of an OSCE-led extra-budgetary project on "Innovative policy solutions to mitigate money-laundering risks of virtual assets", funded by Germany, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States. The project supports OSCE participating States in building national capacities to mitigate criminal risks related to virtual assets and cryptocurrencies.
