September 8, 2022
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT), with funding by the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), hosted a three-day workshop on international best practices to investigate and prosecute criminal misuses of cryptocurrency in Tallinn, Estonia from September 6 to 8. Estonian prosecutors, Estonian Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Estonian Internal Security Service (KAPO), and Estonian Police and Border Guard participated in the workshop.
Practitioners from DOJ Criminal Division’s International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) team, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)’s Virtual Assets Unit, and U.S. Marshals Service discussed the emerging cyber threat landscape, cryptocurrency investigations and prosecutions, and international cooperation in cybercrime investigations.
“Combating the illicit use of digital assets should be a global priority,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “A synchronized approach to information and knowledge-sharing best positions law enforcement around the world to disrupt the cyber-enabled criminal enterprises that impact us all.”
“If we have the knowledge and skills to support each other and the willingness to work together, then we will be able to tackle the most covert cyber and cryptocurrency crimes,” said Estonian Prosecutor General Andres Parmas. “The cooperation between Estonian and U.S. law enforcement agencies has been successful in several criminal cases so far and I believe that this workshop will be beneficial for both countries and will make our cooperation even more effective.”
The United States values cooperation with Estonian counterparts to deter and address cyber threats and cryptocurrency criminal activities. The transnational nature of digital asset technologies requires collaboration with international law enforcement partners to locate and gather digital evidence and to seize and prevent further distribution of digital assets linked to crime. Working together, law enforcement agencies can better deter, disrupt, investigate, and prosecute cyber and cryptocurrency enabled crime, as well as recover illicit proceeds of those crimes.
“Combating the illicit use of digital assets and investigating criminal misuse of cryptocurrency is a global concern and one for which the FBI takes a unified and collaborative approach,” said Assistant Director Luis M. Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “As Digital assets transcend borders, it is imperative that the FBI and its international partners continue to coordinate our efforts and share information about the criminal enterprises posing continued threats to our citizens. This synchronized approach to sharing information and resources will best position law enforcement to disrupt criminal uses of cryptocurrency and all other virtual assets.”
Learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) Program, jointly administered by the Criminal Division’s OPDAT and Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), here.
