In the margins of the 26th Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, which took place between 22 and 26 May, CRIMJUST and GLOBAL CYBERCRIME Programme discussed the rising and trending topic of the use of the internet by criminal organisations and for criminal purposes, more specifically for drug trafficking.
Increasingly, the internet is being used for illicit drug trafficking as a tool of the globalized world. The transnational nature of organized crime creates a challenge to member states and further stresses the need for a more professionalized approach to digital evidence.
Through this side event attended by over 70 participants at UNODC Headquarters in Vienna on 23 May, CRIMJUST and the UNODC Global CyberCrime Programme aimed at jointly exploring the increasing challenges posed by illicit trafficking on the dark net.
Not only has the internet become an online market place, but is now also an online platform for recruitment of drug smugglers. UNODC Senior Expert on CyberCrime stated that law enforcement, investigation officers and prosecutors must learn to use internet and the dark web as a tool for investigation and collect evidence on this platform.
As sharing information and evidence remain key components of cyber investigation CRIMJUST programme officer highlighted the importance of the capacity building and regional cooperation efforts supported by CRIMJUST in disrupting organized crime and more specifically, illicit drug trafficking off and on the internet.
