Missing-Trader Intra-Community fraud course took place at the International Training Centre in Budapest

The International Training Centre in Budapest hosted the CEPOL 12/2019 „Missing-Trader Intra-Community fraud” course between 25th and 29th of November. The 36 colleagues arrived from 16 Member States and 7 colleague from 4 country’s join our course auspices of Western-Balkan project.

The main goals of the five day long course were:

• to increase the protection of the financial interests of the Member States and EU against Missing-Trader Intra-Community fraud by exchanging knowledge on fraud schemes, criminal modus operandi and latest crime patterns,
• to improve knowledge on contemporary intelligence and evidence collection methods instrumental for the detection and investigation of MTIC/tax fraud in particular in the area of electronic evidence,
• to enhance the related inter-agency cooperation and multidisciplinary approach,
• to show the patterns and features of this phenomena as well as international aspects of the crime and the opportunities of international criminal cooperation for Law Enforcement Agencies,
• to discuss about the cooperation between judicial and law enforcement agencies as well as the possibilities of cooperation with private companies.

With the assistance of EUROPOL, OLAF and DG TAXUD, as well as several foreign institutions from the Czech Republic and Germany, the Hungarian organisers managed to gather a diverse staff of experts.

One day of the five-day course was designed to showcase the use of the Internet in investigations. The simulation exercise was planned for the fourth day, as a practice opportunity supporting the theoretical knowledge provided by experts on the previous days. The entire activity was carried out in the computer room where learners were working in pairs. The exercise started with a presentation that described how OSINT tools can be used in the area of MTIC fraud. After that the trainer delivered several case studies that were customised to the crime area.

The learners were very engaged and had many questions. Some gamification was imbedded with a competition applied that made them even more enthusiastic.