OSCE Presence trains Albanian prosecutors and police officers to investigate technology-facilitated trafficking in human beings

To address the rise of technology-facilitated human trafficking, the OSCE Presence in Albania organized a two-day training for prosecutors, police officers and social workers from shelters on 8 and 9 April 2026. The event aimed to strengthen institutional capacities to investigate trafficking cases involving a digital dimension and to ensure victim-centred responses.

The programme explored how digital technologies are increasingly used in the recruitment, control and exploitation of victims and introduced practical investigation tools to address these developments. Participants examined online recruitment patterns and trafficking indicators, the use of open-source investigative tools and digital evidence, as well as financial investigations and international co-operation in trafficking cases.

International experts with extensive experience in investigating trafficking in human beings, evidence collection and the use of open-source investigative methods contributed operational perspectives and case-based analysis. The training also presented elements of investigation practice used by United Kingdom police in handling trafficking in human beings cases. Through simulation exercises, participants applied open-source investigative tools in practice, combined with legal analysis, investigation planning and victim-centred approaches. 

The activity builds on the OSCE Presence’s long-standing support to Albania’s efforts to combat trafficking in human beings through practical, simulation-based “learning-by-doing” training formats that strengthen co-operation between police, prosecutors and social protection structures. Similar exercises have enabled professionals to practise co-ordinated investigations and victim interviews in realistic case scenarios and integrate these approaches into their daily work.

This training was organized as part of the OSCE Presence’s ongoing support to Albanian institutions efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking in human beings, with support from the governments of the United Kingdom, Norway, Italy and Ireland.