Dili, June 29, 2026 (Media Democracia) – Timor-Leste National Police (PNTL) through the Criminal Investigation Service Directorate (DSIC – Portuguese acronym), dismantled an illicit scam call centre operation in Tibar, Bazartete Administrative Post, Liquiçá Municipality.
The presence of the Criminal Investigation Service Directorate at the scene was due to information received from its informants stationed in the area. They reported that in a hotel near the Tibar roundabout, suspects had been running an illicit scam call centre operation since January this year.
Because of this, on Friday (26/6) around 08:30, DSIC immediately carried out an operation at the location and detained 61 suspects who are Indonesian nationals, caught in the act, because when police carried out the operation the suspects were still engaged in illicit online scamming activities.
Director of the Criminal Investigation Service Directorate, Chief Police Superintendent João Belo dos Reis said that around 8:00 am. they received information from informants deployed in Tibar that there was suspected activity linked to a scam call centre or (in Indonesian pusat penipuan online), or a place used to deceive people.
“So the team from the National Criminal Investigation Service Directorate went to the location, and we did indeed suspect there was some movement that we needed to investigate. That’s why we carried out an intervention at the location in flagrante delicto. When we went in we found 61 Indonesian citizens in one room carrying out their activities, a calling centre or fraud targeting citizens, including our own citizens, at that location.” said DSIC Director João Belo to journalists at PNTL General Headquarters in Caicoli on Friday (26/06).
Currently, the 61 Indonesian citizens have been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Service Directorate at PNTL General Command for identification and investigation.
“We immediately apprehended the 61 citizens, consisting of 17 women and 44 men, who are now being brought to the general headquarters at the National Criminal Investigation Service Directorate to be identified so we can separate those who came as victims, who feel they were deceived into coming here. We can consider some of them as human trafficking, with some acting as operators and some as facilitators who brought these people here.” the DSIC Director explained.
The PNTL Spokesperson informed that among the suspects, seven came from Cambodia including their boss who is the main perpetrator of the operation. The seven suspects are part of a scam network from Cambodia. When the network was dismantled there, they moved and came here.
“According to the information we just obtained, some came two months ago, some three months, and some four months ago, and it is suspected they started the activity in January or February this year.” said João Belo.
The Chief Police Superintendent stated that evidence collected by the Criminal Investigation Service Directorate team at the crime scene included a STARLINK network, phones, laptops and other items related to their activities. All of it is now with PNTL General Headquarters for identification.
“This includes 66 passports, because some suspects fled when police moved to dismantle it. We are now identifying them and investigating those you can now see outside.” he added.
Thus, the Director of the Criminal Investigation Service Directorate, Chief Police Superintendent, is asking Village Chiefs, Hamlet Chiefs and Youth Chiefs to identify similar actions in their neighbourhoods, and please contact the police to intervene.
Although the suspects are part of an online scamming network in Oe-Cusse.
“This is the same, in Oe-Cusse the operation model is the same.” João Belo dos Reis concluded.
Meanwhile, the case itself has been registered by the Criminal Investigation Service Directorate under NUC: 0227/26.PNSIK with the crime type of illicit gambling in Tibar.
Reporting: Estefania Cardoso
Photo: Estefania Cardoso