The number of crimes related to cryptocurrency is increasing both in Ukraine and around the world.
The European Union Consultative Mission (ECM) held a seminar on working with cryptocurrencies in the process of pre-trial investigation and trial of criminal cases, analysis of financial transactions, identification of users and confiscation of virtual assets on September 20 in Lviv. It was attended by representatives of regional law enforcement agencies (Security Service, Prosecutor’s Office, National Police, Bureau of Economic Security (BEB), justice bodies and Lviv State University of Internal Affairs.
The relative anonymity of such virtual assets makes them a convenient tool for attackers. In particular, as the participants of the event noted, such funds are used by Russia to finance terrorism and its agents on the territory of Ukraine. In this context, they emphasized the importance of international cooperation to document crimes involving cryptocurrencies.
“Tracking and tracing the assets of criminals who use cryptocurrencies is extremely difficult for law enforcement officers. That is why the CSEU conducts such trainings to increase the capacity of Ukrainian partners,” said Michal Vyvoda, senior adviser of the CSEU in Ukraine on OSINT issues.
Bohdan Temnyk, the leading inspector of the information analysis and risk management department of the Territorial Department of the Security Intelligence Service in the Lviv region, told the participants of the seminar about modern software for investigating crimes related to cryptocurrencies. He emphasized that the emergence of cryptocurrency has become a challenge for law enforcement officers not only in Ukraine, but also throughout the world.