Timor-Leste Crackdown Snares 90 More in Dili and Liquie70e Raids

Timor-Leste's Criminal Investigation Police detained 90 foreign nationals in two separate operations targeting suspected online scam operations. The raids took place in the Comoro area of Dili and in Ulmera, Liquiee70e municipality, aiming to dismantle fraud schemes operated from call centers.

Chief Superintendent Jo03o Belo dos Reis stated that the operations resulted in the arrest of 14 Chinese nationals in Dili and 75 Indonesian nationals and one Chinese national in Liquiee70e. The raids followed intelligence indicating potential fraud activities at the sites. Those detained were taken to the Criminal Investigation Headquarters for identification and investigative procedures.

These arrests are part of a broader crackdown on illegal online activities, including gambling and fraud. The enforcement wave began after a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime alert warned of criminal networks establishing operations in Timor-Leste. The government has since canceled all existing online gambling licenses and prohibited new permits, citing risks to national security and international reputation.