OSCE course in Montenegro highlights importance of financial intelligence in preventing and countering terrorism

From 15 to 17 October 2024, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department's Action against Terrorism Unit organized a training course for officials from Montenegro on how to use financial intelligence to effectively cut off terrorism financing channels in Bar, Montenegro. The event was organized with the support of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

The course brought together 15 representatives from the Montenegro Special State Prosecutor's Office, the Police Directorate's Financial Intelligence Unit and Organized Crime Department, and the Tax and Customs Administrations. Representatives gained valuable insights into both proactive and reactive analytical techniques, as well as investigative methods for financial investigations within the broader context of counter-terrorism operations.

The training highlighted the critical role of collecting, managing and using financial intelligence in counter-terrorism efforts. It also included a component on virtual assets, with a focus on analyzing cryptocurrency transactions. A team of national trainers, previously trained by the OSCE and supported by international experts, led sessions focused on financial information analysis and application of various analytical techniques in counter-terrorism operations. The trainers also engaged inter-agency teams in practical exercises, covering the intelligence cycle, intelligence grading, and network and data analysis.

The course is part of a comprehensive effort to further build Montenegro's domestic framework to prevent terrorists from moving, using and raising funds for terrorist purposes, in line with international commitments and standards. This multiannual training programme is supported by the United States.