In today’s digital world, even a click on the internet can expose you to various types of virtual dangers and cybercrime. This has drastically increased the need to build and enhance existing capacities within relevant justice authorities to fight dark internet markets and organised crime.

As a Rule of Law Mission, EULEX is facilitating capacity building of the Kosovo prosecutors to investigate more effectively and to prosecute organised crime and terrorism and in this way enabling a complete transition of executive functions to the local authorities.

Mr. Fadil Gashi, police officer in the Major Crime Unit, expressed his excitement ahead of the workshop: “I expect this training to help me improve my professional awareness in regards to collecting material evidence in cases of cybercrime.”

Participants ranged from judges, prosecutors from Basic and Appeal level courts as well as police officers who deal with cybercrime and from Major Crime Unit. The training focused on practical easy-to-consult tool for the local prosecutors facing the new challenge of incorporating cyber evidence into conventional investigations. This tool has been introduced as the Brief Guidelines for Police and Prosecutors on Investigating Dark Internet Markets.

From a prosecutor’s point of view, this training is straight to the point. Ms Shemsije Asllani, prosecutor in the Basic Prosecution Office in Pristina states: “Our prosecution office dealt with some cases involving organised groups whose modus operandi included a cybercrime dimension and my expectations of the workshop are to increase my professional understanding of the criminal activity.”

The objectives and end-results of this workshop are also elaborated by Mr. Florin Cretu, legal officer in the Prosecution Unit of the Mission’s Executive Division:  “The aim of this workshop is to anticipate an inevitable increase in cybercrime, a trend that has been demonstrated in Europe and the rest of the world. Providing highly specialized training to Kosovo judicial system comes in line with EULEX’s commitment to its mandate and support for Kosovo institutions in regards to Rule of Law."

Consequently, local prosecutors will start undertaking more complex investigations with an increased capacity to discover, investigate and prosecute organised crime and terrorism by starting to make use of updated investigative techniques.