International cooperation when collecting evidence in the investigation of transnational organized crime: challenges and opportunities

The purpose of the article is to highlight the organizational aspects of international cooperation during the collection of evidence in criminal proceedings related to the investigation of transnational organized crime. The results of the study indicated that international cooperation to collect evidence in criminal proceedings related to transnational organized crime involves a variety of actors, including international organizations, intergovernmental institutions, state and local authorities, judicial and law enforcement agencies, public associations and organizations and individual citizens, the main purpose of which is to detect, investigate, and prevent the commission of criminal offenses by transnational organized criminal groups and criminal organizations, and searching ways to combat such criminal manifestations. One of the types of international cooperation in the area under consideration is the provision of international legal assistance during the collection of evidence. Practical implementation. It is established that expansion of international cooperation with foreign countries, improvement of existing international conventions and treaties, national legislation, constant exchange of experience between law enforcement agencies of foreign countries, development of a single mechanism for providing international legal assistance in criminal proceedings in various directions of its implementation are important factors of international cooperation. Value/originality. The study highlights the peculiarities of the organization of international cooperation in the investigation of transnational organized crime; directions for increasing its efficiency are suggested.