OSINT and Cultural Property Crimes.
Francisco José Rufián Fernández, Agustin Constante Orrios
Cultural property is a crucial part of the identity in any state and a sector with significant economic value. So, protecting it from criminals, seeking economic benefits, or any attack in which the objective would be the people's own identity (e.g. armed conflicts or terrorist attacks), is an essential duty for law enforcement agencies.
There is a vast dark market focused on the antiquities trade. If we compare it with other illicit businesses, this black market's main character is the mixing capacity with the legal market. This leads to a significant increase in the difficulties during investigations.
We must also add to this the fact that digital tools have changed the way of life and the way of businesses, and people undertaking criminal activities have not been left out of this.
In this regard, law enforcement agencies need to develop scientific knowledge and IT capacities in cooperation with academics and society to face the continuous challenges in this area.
OSINT techniques are one of the most valuable tools in this regard, such as carrying out provenance investigations, which are crucial to identifying and proving any object's illicit origin.
This presentation aims to show a quick view of the issue to foster the development of new academic research and investigations in the area.
• Open Corner: The Digital Age for Law Enforcement
Lecture Room 1 - I-417
