Islamabad hosted a three-day OSINT-Open Source Intelligence training under the FJA-PAK project from December 3 to 5, 2025, at the Best Western Hotel. Organized by ICMPD-International Centre for Migration Policy Development, the program gathered key stakeholders, including NCCIA-National Cybercrime Investigation Agency, FIA-Federal Investigation Agency, NCERT-National Cyber/Computer Emergency Response Team, and PTA-Pakistan Telecommunication Authority. The training aimed to enhance technical capabilities and collaborative efforts to counter fraudulent job advertisements, human trafficking, and smuggling of migrants facilitated through digital platforms.
International experts led the sessions, focusing on emerging tools such as digital forensics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and OSINT, highlighting their critical role in detecting and preventing technology-enabled trafficking operations. Participants explored methods for monitoring online platforms and social media networks used by cybercriminals to exploit aspiring migrants. The training emphasized both operational and legal frameworks necessary to tackle transnational crimes effectively. Discussions also addressed the collection of digital evidence, cyber-surveillance techniques, and strategies for mitigating risks associated with fraudulent online job recruitment.
Over the course of the three-day workshop, attendees actively engaged in exercises and scenario-based learning, fostering stronger inter-agency coordination and knowledge sharing. Experts highlighted the use of OSINT for tracing fraudulent activities while showcasing blockchain and digital currency technologies in detecting and investigating illicit financial transactions linked to trafficking networks. Participants received practical guidance on leveraging these technologies to improve monitoring, enforcement, and protection of vulnerable migrant populations. The program underscored the importance of a unified approach, emphasizing that preventing cyber-facilitated trafficking is a shared responsibility requiring close collaboration among law enforcement, cybersecurity agencies, and telecommunications authorities.
Organizers of the event, including Ms. Saira Abbas, Project Manager ICMPD, Ms. Rosamund van den Bosch, APO ICMPD, and Mr. Sajid Muhammad, Project Manager ICMPD, stressed that such capacity-building initiatives are crucial for creating a safer digital ecosystem for aspiring migrants. Master trainers, Mr. Lukas Viliam and Mr. Michal Cerny, provided in-depth expertise on cybercrime investigation and OSINT deployment. As a highlight of the sessions, participants received symbolic recognitions, including a Bitcoin-Coin and Bitcoin-Paper from Michal and souvenirs from Lukas, reinforcing engagement and interest in the practical applications of emerging technologies.
The training reinforced the shared commitment among Pakistani agencies to develop streamlined approaches for preventing fraudulent job schemes and cyber-enabled trafficking. The practical skills, technological know-how, and strengthened partnerships from the workshop are expected to enhance operational efficiency and digital oversight. Through initiatives like these, participating agencies aim to safeguard migrants, improve cross-agency coordination, and strengthen Pakistan’s overall response to cyber-facilitated human trafficking and online fraud.
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