UNODC and OSCE Build Sustainable Training Capacity on Virtual Asset Tracing and Countering the Financing of Terrorism in Montenegro  

10-12 September 2024, Vienna, Austira - UNODC jointly with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) organized a Countering Financing of Terrorism (CFT) Train-the-Trainer (ToT) Analysis course aimed at improving the skills of practitioners from Montenegro to conduct effective financial analysis in counter-terrorism (CT). The course forms part of a comprehensive CFT training programme to strengthen the operational framework to prevent terrorists from moving, using and raising funds for terrorist purposes.

This was the second ToT workshop for a team of six local trainers from the Special State Prosecutor’s Office, National Security Agency, Customs Administration, Financial Intelligence Unit and Police Directorate. During the three-day course, they learned about the identification and analysis of suspicious transactions related to terrorism financing and the use of a range of analytical techniques. The course provided practical insight into the concepts of intelligence and analysis and how to apply them in CT investigations.

Participants were familiarized with the key elements of crypto-asset analysis and related techniques. These sessions focused on how to plan, prepare and create a commodity flow chart from several intelligence feeds. During a practical exercise on Bitcoin tracing, participants identified links between different entities [KM1] and explored crypto-asset investigation opportunities.

Within the framework of the training programme, the local trainers are mentored by international experts. As a next step, in October, they will jointly deliver this course to their peers involved in CFT in Montenegro. In this manner, the program will build sustainable training capacity to strengthen local CFT investigation and virtual asset tracing skills in line with advanced international practices, to enhance inter-agency cooperation and to promote public-private partnerships in the field of countering the financing of terrorism and cybercrime.

Project activities are implemented in partnership with OSCE and supported by the UNODC Global Programme against Money Laundering, Proceeds of Crime and the Financing of Terrorism and the Regional Programme for South Eastern Europe. The course was organized with the financial support of the United States of America and Norway.