The Council of Europe’s Economic Crime and Cooperation Division (ECCD) is working with the Financial Intelligence Directorate under the State Agency for National Security (FID-SANS, Bulgarian FIU) to further strengthen its operational and strategic analytical functions. As part of these activities, on 5-7 December 2023, the ECCD organised a three-day training on the use of open-source intelligence (OSINT) for operational and strategic analysis for 25 representatives of the FID-SANS. 

The training was launched by an overview of the legal framework for collecting and analysing data and information from various publicly available sources and transforming it into intelligence that can feed and support operational and strategic analysis undertaken by FID-SANS. Furthermore, the Council of Europe experts guided participants through different steps of the intelligence cycle by providing practical examples on how OSINT can be used for specific stages of financial intelligence analysis.

Moreover, since the training combined both theoretical and practical sessions, participants were provided by the practical overview of OSINT framework, and they used the opportunity to apply online tools and investigation methods in conducting several practical assignments and interactive exercises as well as in analysing case studies under the guidance and support of the Council of Europe experts. Finally, FID-SANS representatives actively took part in an interactive gamified learning experience that required practical application of OSINT tools, methods and techniques presented earlier in the training.

The activity was organised within the framework of the Technical Support Instrument (TSI) project on “Enhancing the capabilities for risk-based AML supervision and financial intelligence in Bulgaria”, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe.