Dili, July 18, 2026 (Media Democracia) – Executive Director of Migration Service, Police Assistant Commissioner Jorge Monteiro said, more than 100 foreign citizens who were detained and held by DSIK in the Online Scam Call Centre case in the areas of Tibar, Ulmera, Manleuna, Fomentu and Kampung Baru have their visas and passports (complete).
“Regarding the operation carried out by our state security institutions such as PNTL and PCIC, which managed to detect and carry out arrests and managed to detect information that these citizens didn’t have legal documents in their hands.” Director of Migration Service, Police Assistant Commissioner Jorge Monteiro said this during a Press Conference held at the Ministry of Interior in Vila Verde on Thursday (16/07).
The Executive Director said all citizens from any country who enter Timor-Leste’s national territory legally through the border points always have travel documents such as a passport.
The Assistant Commissioner said some citizens, SM hasn’t yet identified whether the company is holding their passports.
“I want to say that their passport, the legal document, their passport is there, it’s clear that it isn’t in their hands. I believe, I guarantee that when they entered Timor-Leste’s national territory, their passport was there. Of the more than one hundred who were captured, their passports are there.” He affirmed.
He added that the Migration Service cannot yet identify whether these citizens’ passports are in their own hands or in the company’s hands.
“But we still cannot identify whether their passport is in an individual’s hands or in the company’s hands, this is what we have not yet managed to identify. But what I guarantee is that when they entered Timor-Leste’s national territory with a legal document such as a passport, it was always there.” he continued.
He explained, now sometimes the next question arises: why, when they entered Timor-Leste’s national territory, is their passport with an individual or with a company or with agencies, and why?
“I want to tell you that our work is integrated. Our State gives licenses to companies and to agencies with legal licenses to process foreign documents for those who enter Timor-Leste’s national territory.” he explained.
Jorge Monteiro informed that these issues do not come from brokers, but this is the real situation.
“I can say if it’s in brokers’ hands, I just say agencies or companies, because the agencies or companies that process foreign documents for those who enter Timor-Leste’s national territory are agencies that are legal and registered with SERVE.” He said.
Because of that, he wants to say that these citizens entered Timor-Leste’s national territory, and I guarantee that they entered with foreign travel documents such as a passport.
Monteiro said when police go to arrest these citizens and they don’t have their passport in their hands, it is the duty and responsibility of the security authority to search and find out whether their passport is in an individual’s hands or in an agency or company’s hands.
The Executive Director responded regarding suspects who are suspected of involvement in the online scamming case where the Court’s decision has already been issued for them: the application of Term of Identity and Residence and Periodic Presentation means they are not authorized to leave the national territory.
“Regarding the foreign citizens who are involved or suspected in the scam call center, the citizens who are in the identification process, have finalized their first interrogation process at the Court of First Instance where some received fines, some received Periodic Presentation and some received Preventive Prison.” He emphasized.
Especially for those who received a fine application, once they pay, they comply with the Court’s decision to pay the fine for the offense or for the guilt they committed, clearly they then have the right to leave Timor-Leste’s national territory.
Whereas for those who have Periodic Presentation once a week or twice to the police or to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, they cannot leave the national territory
“I guarantee that they will remain in Timor-Leste’s national territory and they will not leave Timor-Leste’s national territory because there is communication and work coordination between the security institutions and the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Information about people who are still in the investigation process and cannot leave is sent to Migration and we continue to transmit it to the entry posts at the entry lines to give attention.” He said.
Jorge said: “If you do Periodic Presentation and you go to a border post to leave, you just state your name and the system immediately alerts red. This is a prevention model.”
According to him, the second prevention model is that your original passport is in the hands of the Migration Service after you go through the first interrogation process in Court and receive Periodic Presentation or a Term of Identity and Residence.
Your passport, which is in the hands of the Migration Service, means you cannot legally leave Timor-Leste’s national territory, except if you leave Timor-Leste’s national territory through an illegal route at night or during the day you can leave.
“But to leave legally from Timor-Leste’s national territory is not allowed. This is not just for foreign citizens, for national citizens too. If they have a case that is in process and they leave illegally to go outside, that possibility exists, but to leave legally isn’t possible.” He concluded.
Report By: Estefánia Cardoso
Photo: Estefánja Cardoso