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Tracing, Seizing and Recovering Trafficking in Persons Proceeds in the Era of Digital Finance and Crypto-Assets in South Eastern Europe

05.03.2026

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This week's meeting brought together prosecutors, judges, law enforcement investigators, financial intelligence specialists and policy experts from across South-Eastern Europe and the EU, alongside representatives of international organizations, civil society and the private sector. Participants included experts from institutions such as EUROPOL, INTERPOL, UNODC, national ministries of interior and justice, specialized prosecution offices, financial investigation units, cryptocurrency analytics companies and anti-trafficking organizations.
The event was implemented by UNODC, in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior of Montenegro and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France.
On Day 2, participants visited the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C), where our team presented its mandate and activities supporting regional cybercrime investigations. Director Gilles Schwoerer presented the overall operations of the Centre while our in-house expert for cybercrime, Cyril C., introduced WB3C’s crypto-assets training programme, highlighting how investigators in the region are being equipped with practical skills for blockchain analysis, cryptocurrency tracing and digital evidence handling in financial investigations.
Discussions throughout the meeting emphasized the growing importance of digital forensics, blockchain analysis and cross-border cooperation in identifying and recovering criminal proceeds linked to trafficking in persons.
Events like this demonstrate how cooperation between international organizations, governments, investigative bodies and technical experts is becoming essential to address increasingly complex financial crimes in the digital era. The group visited the WB3C training facilities and part of the Science and Technology Park as one of the driving platforms for innovation in Montenegro.


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Upcoming
Regional Conference on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference and Disinformation

This regional conference intended for governments, media and civil society brings diverse perspectives on the growing hybrid threats of fake news, disinformation, manipulative and malign narratives that have the power to undermine democratic processes, trust in media and institutions and overal societal resilience and cohesion. Understanding, detecting, preventing, responding, debunking, investigating and prosecuting such manipulations will be the task of our panels, case studies and interactive exercises aimed at supporting governemnts and societies to tackle this challenge. The conference will feature 30 prominent speakers from the EU and the WB region from various departments, sectors and industries. 

CTI for Critical Infrastructure Training Completed

Last week at WB3C, we wrapped up a four-day training on Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) focused on the energy sector and government infrastructure, led by Ljuban Petrovic.

Working with SOC, CSIRT and CERT teams from across the region, the training reinforced a simple point: CTI only matters when it informs decisions. When it helps prioritise. When it changes how teams prepare and respond.
The sectoral focus proved its value. Energy infrastructure comes with its own risk landscape, and the discussions reflected that reality—specific, operational, and directly relevant.

We are continuing this work in September, building on what started here.
Because strengthening resilience is not a one-off effort. It is something that develops over time, through practice, exchange, and trust. 

What is Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) — and why does it matter?

Simply put, CTI is about turning information into insight, before a threat happens.

Not just collecting data on threats, but understanding who is behind them, how they operate, and what that means for your own systems.
Without that understanding, cybersecurity remains reactive. With it, organisations can anticipate, prioritise and respond with purpose.

Next week at WB3C, we will be running a four-day regional training on Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI).
The training is designed for SOC, CSIRT and CERT teams, as well as IT professionals working within critical entities—specifically the energy sector. The choice is deliberate.

We are taking a sectoral approach to cybersecurity capacity building. Because threats are not abstract—they target specific systems, infrastructures and vulnerabilities. And the energy sector, as a backbone of economic and societal stability, requires tailored, operationally relevant skills that reflect its real risk landscape.
Over four days, participants will cover:
💡 understanding CTI in the context of critical infrastructure
💡 analysing threats and assessing their impact
💡 translating intelligence into actionable outputs

All week, we will be working closely with cybersecurity professionals from across the region’s energy sector—moving from concepts to application, and building capabilities that can directly support operational decision-making.
This is where CTI becomes operational. Protecting our energy infrastructure means protecting our economy, our security and our livelihood.

Image: Patrick https://lnkd.in/diYnZEgB


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Disclaimer: Translations of the original content written in English into other languages are AI generated by Weglot.