OSCE enhances Armenian and Georgian abilities in blockchain investigations

From 12 to 14 August, the OSCE facilitated its second training session on countering blockchain obfuscation techniques—this time for investigators from Armenia and Georgia. The course took place in Warsaw and was hosted by the Ministry of Finance of Poland.

How do criminals try to hide and obscure their cryptocurrency transactions on the blockchain? What techniques do they use to avoid detection by law enforcement? These were some of the questions addressed during the three-day training.

Participants emphasized that criminals increasingly resort to cryptocurrencies to run their illicit activities, which makes the training especially timely and valuable for their investigations.

“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,” said one of the participants from the Financial Monitoring Service of Georgia.

Engaging exercises and case studies provided participants with an opportunity to enhance their investigation skills on the blockchain. Additionally, the course encouraged the investigators to exchange knowledge on trends, challenges and good practices from the different beneficiary countries.

This training was organized within the framework of the extra-budgetary project “Innovative Policy Solutions to Mitigate Money-Laundering Risks of Virtual Assets”, implemented by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities. The project is financially supported by Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States.