Missing Persons and Cold Case Investigation

The Department of Missing Persons and Cold Case Investigation (VVCO) is an initiative of the International Anti Crime Academy (IACA). The department consists of experienced OSINT specialists and carefully selected students who volunteer to support cold case investigations and missing persons cases.

The VVCO does not take on complete case files, but provides supportive efforts in the form of targeted OSINT investigations. This support is supplementary to existing investigation efforts and may relate to both cold cases and urgent missing persons cases. Support is provided exclusively at the request of or in cooperation with police units, detective teams or recognized investigative bodies.

The VVCO focuses on collecting and analyzing open sources (Open Source Intelligence, OSINT) for both urgent missing persons cases and case files that have stalled or where active investigation has ceased for an extended period. This includes recent missing persons cases, long-term disappearances, unsolved crimes or cold cases where new digital insights can make a difference.

The department provides a supportive contribution to existing investigations. Through OSINT techniques, new connections or information sources can be uncovered that may give rise to renewed attention or new lines of inquiry.

Additionally, the VVCO is involved in various projects in the field of cold case investigation and contributes to innovation within this domain. Active experimentation takes place with the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence (AI), data analysis and digital monitoring to increase the effectiveness of OSINT applications. In this way, the VVCO contributes to the renewal of investigative methods at the intersection of technology and detection.

The VVCO works with a core team of OSINT professionals who are also affiliated with the National Expertise Broker (LDM) of the Dutch police. The LDM mediates on behalf of the police, the Public Prosecution Service, the Royal Marechaussee and the special investigation services in engaging external experts who contribute knowledge these services do not have in house. Admission to the LDM register runs through an independent assessment committee: a registration is valid for five years and a screening takes place every two years.

They are supplemented by a small group of students who further develop their knowledge and skills within a supervised program. Students are not deployed arbitrarily; only those who are demonstrably motivated and possess sufficient expertise can contribute to selected cases under supervision.

The department is involved in various projects, including police investigations and collaborations with citizen-oriented initiatives, provided these are supervised by authorized bodies. All efforts take place on a voluntary basis, without commercial interest. Discretion, reliability and social engagement form the core of our approach.

Please note: it is not possible for individuals or next of kin to submit a request for support directly.

IACA is a partner in the Cold Case minor at Saxion University of Applied Sciences. Through the VVCO, we supervise students in applying OSINT to cold case investigation. The combination of education and practice strengthens the effectiveness of the department and contributes to the development of new generations of investigators.