From 7 to 10 August, the OSCE trained financial investigators from Moldova and Ukraine on mitigating blockchain obfuscation techniques used by criminals in a course hosted by the Ministry of Finance of Poland in Warsaw.

Considering that criminals increasingly resort to blockchain technology to hide and launder the proceeds of their illicit activities, the training aimed to familiarize the participating investigators with a wide array of techniques used by criminals to obfuscate cryptocurrency transactions. Through practical exercises, the participants acquired skills crucial to conducting specialized investigations targeting these techniques. 

“Understanding and addressing these techniques is crucial for maintaining transparency and combating illicit activities in the financial system. This training aims to deepen our understanding of these methods and equip us with the tools to identify and counteract them effectively”, said Anna Chałupa, the General Inspector of Financial Information at the Ministry of Finance of Poland.

As blockchain technology continues to rapidly evolve, so do the methods employed by criminals to evade law enforcement. Practitioners are required to stay abreast of these developments through continuous training and awareness-raising.

The OSCE contributes to these efforts through its 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.