A two-day training on the collection and analysis of publicly available information in administrative and criminal investigations organized within the project on Countering Economic Crime in Serbia, brought together prosecutors, judges, forensic experts and representatives of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption.

Through a series of practical exercises, participants explored the use of open-source intelligence (OSINT) in financial investigations. The training covered advanced internet search techniques, reverse image searching, metadata analysis, geolocation, social media investigations, cryptocurrency and blockchain analysis, as well as the use of corporate registries and open-source databases. Participants learned how publicly available information can be used to detect hidden wealth, identify investigative leads and support investigations into complex money laundering and terrorist financing schemes.

A key component of the training was the OSINT World Café Exercise, during which participants worked in groups to explore different investigative tools and techniques before applying the full OSINT process to a case study - from information collection and verification to analysis and reporting. These practical exercises strengthened participants’ ability to analyse information, document findings and produce intelligence that can effectively support investigative and judicial proceedings.

The activity took place within the project “Countering Economic Crime in Serbia”, funded by Sweden, represented by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, and implemented by the Council of Europe.