Training Targets Crypto-Linked Child Trafficking

The International Justice Mission (IJM) Bangladesh has launched a specialised training programme to strengthen law enforcement and intelligence officers’ capacity to investigate cryptocurrency-related financial crimes and identify criminal networks involved in the commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking of children. The four-day programme began on Monday, 9 November, at the Detective Training School (DTS) in Rajarbagh, Dhaka.

Titled ‘Cryptocurrency, Digital Investigations and Multi-Agency Collaboration to Combat Domestic Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Child Sex Trafficking’, the training will continue until 12 November. A total of 39 officers from law enforcement and intelligence agencies are taking part.

Rebeka Khan, Joint Secretary of the Political-1 Branch at the Ministry of Home Affairs, inaugurated the programme as the chief guest. Claire Wilkinson, Country Director of IJM Bangladesh, chaired the inaugural session.

Sultana Esrat Jahan, Additional Superintendent of Police at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID); Alyse Kennedy, Political Officer for Trafficking in Persons at the US Embassy in Dhaka; and officials from IJM Bangladesh were also present.

The participants include 11 officers from the CID, 12 from the National Security Intelligence (NSI), 10 from the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), two each from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP), and two from the National Central Bureau (NCB).

Four specialist trainers will conduct a total of 14 sessions during the programme. They are Md Jahurul Huq, Superintendent of Police at the PBI; Shahnewaj Raju, BPM, PPM, BP, Additional Superintendent of Police (CPC) at the CID; Mohammad Ashiqur Rahman, Joint Director at the NSI; and Caleb Carroll, Manager of Law Enforcement Development and Partnerships under IJM’s European Anti-Trafficking Programme.

Addressing the inaugural session, chief guest Rebeka Khan said the Bangladesh government had taken significant steps to strengthen efforts against human trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable people. She highlighted initiatives to improve investigation and prosecution processes, reinforce protection and support for survivors, enhance institutional coordination and ensure coordinated action among relevant government offices and agencies to address crimes such as the commercial sexual exploitation of children.

Encouraging the participating officers, she said that institutional capacity, partnerships and effective implementation needed to be strengthened further. She emphasised that success should not be measured by the number of policies adopted, meetings held or training programmes organised. Instead, it should be assessed by the number of children protected from exploitation, survivors who receive justice and investigations that bring perpetrators to account. Public confidence in institutions’ ability to protect vulnerable communities and uphold the rule of law is also a key measure of success, she added.

In her remarks, IJM Bangladesh Country Director Claire Wilkinson said the nature of crime was changing, with criminal networks rapidly adapting their methods and strategies. The commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking of children were no exception. She warned that investigations focused only on immediate perpetrators or individuals directly identified at crime scenes could leave wider criminal networks beyond the reach of law enforcement.

She added that crimes were becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated, requiring more effective and strategic collective responses. She urged participants to use the training to strengthen their capabilities, deepen partnerships and renew their shared commitment to building a safer country for every child in Bangladesh.

The training will cover emerging trends in cryptocurrency-related crimes and their links to human trafficking, the commercial sexual exploitation of children, cyber fraud and money laundering. Participants will also learn the fundamentals of cryptocurrency and blockchain, how digital currencies are used in criminal activities, and open-source intelligence techniques. Other topics include the human trafficking situation in Bangladesh, recent issues highlighted in the US Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, money laundering and ransom-related trends.

Through practical exercises, participants will develop skills in blockchain analysis, tracing digital asset transactions and investigating the financial activities of criminal networks linked to human trafficking. The programme will also cover identifying and dismantling local and international criminal networks, investigator safety online and investigative techniques in the dark web.

The initiative aims to improve inter-agency coordination and strengthen investigators’ capacity to address technology-facilitated commercial sexual exploitation and child trafficking. The four-day programme will conclude on Thursday, 12 November, with a closing and certificate distribution ceremony.

IJM Bangladesh aims to reduce the commercial sexual exploitation of children in the country by 50 per cent and ensure the protection of six million children by 2030. To achieve these goals, the organisation supports frontline first responders, decision-makers and policymakers in effectively implementing relevant laws and policies and strengthening their capacity to prevent and combat these crimes. IJM Bangladesh operates in 11 districts across the Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal and Mymensingh divisions.
//DBTech/RMIJM/SMP/MVNO//