INTERPOL spotlights role of digital forensics in maritime investigations

13 December 2018

SINGAPORE – In many parts of the world, criminals are increasingly using different types of boats and ships to carry out their illegal activities. Fortunately for law enforcement, the electronic equipment found on vessels can reveal important digital evidence to support criminal investigations.

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INTERPOL held its first forum on Digital Forensics on Shipborne Equipment in December 2018. The electronic equipment found on boats and ships can reveal important digital evidence to support investigations into crimes such as illegal fishing, maritime piracy and trafficking in drugs, firearms and people.
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The electronic equipment recovered from ships can provide police with information on criminals and organized networks, trafficking routes, modus operandi and more.
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The meeting covered a number of case studies and hands-on exercises, to help investigators better understand the challenges and opportunities.
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Participants shared best practices on digital forensics and discussed the development of further guidelines, a manual and a training module for first responders and digital forensics officers.
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To ensure that police around the world are equipped with the specialized skills necessary to identify and extract the critical evidence, INTERPOL held its first forum on Digital Forensics on Shipborne Equipment at the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI) in Singapore.

Illegal fishing, drug trafficking, maritime piracy, human trafficking, people smuggling, firearms trafficking: all of these serious crimes have the potential to involve some type of vessel. The electronic equipment recovered from these ships can provide police with information on the criminals and organized networks involved, trafficking routes, modus operandi and more.

The three-day meeting (11 – 13 December), organized by INTERPOL’s Global Fisheries Enforcement team and Digital Forensics Lab of the Innovation Centre, covered a number of case studies and hands-on exercises, to help investigators better understand the challenges and opportunities.

Among the speakers were law enforcement experts from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States and private partners. In addition to sharing best practices on digital forensics, participants discussed the development of further guidelines, a manual and a training module for first responders and digital forensics officers.