On the occasion of the European Day of Trafficking in Human Beings (18 October), on 9-10 October 2023, the International Criminal Investigation Department of the National Bureau of Investigation organised a professional conference in Balatonföldvár, where speakers and participants shared their experiences in the field.
The aim of the conference was not only to present law enforcement practices, investigative experiences and the national and international criminal justice landscape in the fight against human trafficking, but also to give participants an insight into prosecutorial and judicial practices. In addition to the heads of the criminal and investigation departments of the counties and the anti-trafficking senior supervisor officers, the event was also attended by members of the specialised prosecutors' network, the staff of the National Tax and Customs Administration, as well as the prosecutor of the Office of the Prosecutor General and the Presiding Judge of the Curia, who presented the judicial practice of interpreting trafficking in human beings, thus providing a wide opportunity for a solution-oriented dialogue.
As a significant proportion of trafficking crimes are organised online, online detection was an inescapable theme of the conference. Financial investigation and confiscation of criminal assets is a topic of particular interest and discussed by several speakers. In addition to the focus on justice, the conference also covered the area of victim support with a speaker presented the support available to victims.
The event was opened by Dr Nóra Jakubovich, Head of Unit of the Counter Trafficking and Horizontal Issues within of the Ministry of Interior. She presented the strategic domestic and international agenda for the fight against human trafficking. On the final day, the audience will be presented with three real cases, which will again provide an opportunity for expert analysis and exchange of views, which can be taken forward in further professional work.