The Uganda Police Force has strengthened its capacity to investigate human trafficking facilitated by technology following the completion of a five-day training course in digital forensics by about 10 officers, SCP Fred Enanga has said.
Enanga, the Deputy Director of Interpol and International Relations, made the remarks during the closing ceremony of the training held at Kabira Country Club.
The course brought together officers from the Directorates of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Interpol, the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), Forensics and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Enanga commended the participants for completing the intensive training, describing it as a significant step towards improving investigations into technology-facilitated human trafficking and the professional handling of digital evidence.
“With this cohort trained, the Uganda Police Force has now significantly strengthened its capacity to investigate technology-facilitated human trafficking and to handle digital evidence with professionalism,” he said.
He noted that rapid technological advancements were reshaping criminal investigations, with digital evidence increasingly playing a central role in establishing facts, tracing offenders and supporting successful prosecutions.
Enanga said human traffickers were increasingly exploiting online platforms, encrypted communications and digital financial transactions to facilitate their activities, making it necessary for investigators to keep pace with emerging technologies and investigative techniques.
He urged the officers to embrace continuous professional development and exercise meticulous care in collecting, preserving and analysing digital evidence.
He also emphasised the importance of following established investigative procedures and chain-of-custody standards to protect the integrity of evidence and ensure its admissibility in court.
The training was sponsored by CIVIPOL, the European Union and ROCK to strengthen institutional capacity and enhance efforts to combat technology-enabled human trafficking.
The initiative is expected to improve the participating officers’ ability to investigate cases involving digital evidence and strengthen the response to human trafficking facilitated by technology.
