OSCE hosts crypto training for Armenian and Georgian investigators

The OSCE hosted a three-day training in Warsaw to enhance crypto investigation skills for Armenian and Georgian law enforcement.

In an Aug. 14 press release, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe announced that it had conducted a specialized training session on “countering blockchain obfuscation techniques” in Warsaw, aimed at improving the investigative skills of law enforcement from Armenia and Georgia.

The OSCE said the course, hosted by Poland’s Ministry of Finance, marked the second such session facilitated by the organization, as part of a broader effort to combat illicit activities facilitated by cryptocurrencies.

“This course, delivered by a team of experts with substantial experience, has helped me acquire skills that I can apply directly in my work environment, making it very practically relevant.”

A participant from Georgia’s Financial Monitoring Service

The training addressed challenges in detecting and tracing crypto transactions that cybercriminals reportedly use to obscure their illicit activities. Participants were trained on advanced techniques used by bad actors to hide their digital footprints on-chain and explored methods for law enforcement to effectively counter these tactics, the press release reads.

The OSCE says the course was designed to equip investigators with the tools needed to navigate the complexities of blockchain technology in real-world scenarios. The course also “encouraged the investigators to exchange knowledge on trends, challenges and good practices from the different beneficiary countries.”

This initiative is part of the OSCE’s extra-budgetary project, supported by Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, the U.K., and the U.S., which aims to combat money laundering and other financial crimes facilitated by virtual assets. In November 2023, the OSCE also hosted a similar training for Ukrainian authorities, aimed at improving their capacity to trace crypto transactions.

In a separate effort, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service announced in September 2023 that nearly 40 Ukrainian law enforcement officers completed advanced training on crypto tracing, utilizing blockchain analytics tools from CipherTrace and BlockTrace.