14 July 2026Cibercrime
The operation, carried out in conjunction with the National Strategic Intelligence Service (SNIE) and led by chief investigator Octávio da Costa Araújo, began at 02:00 am and allowed the identification and arrest of the 28 suspects, indicted for carrying out activities in a computer fraud and online gambling center in that area of the city of Dili.
During the operation, the PCIC seized various objects, including phones, laptops and mobile phones.
The PCIC will now prepare the report for submission to the Public Prosecutor's Office, while further investigations are underway.
According to the PCIC, Chinese nationals suspected of engaging in illicit gambling in Timor-Leste mostly have a history of engaging in similar activities in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.
The institution stresses that the phenomena of call centre scam and online gaming scamming did not appear suddenly, but rather resulted from an evolution with a long history related to international criminal networks.
The operation at dawn today is part of the investigation and the PCIC's ongoing efforts to combat transnational organized crime networks suspected of developing computer fraud and illegal online gambling activities in the national territory.
In recent weeks, similar operations have been carried out in Tibar, Metiaut, Manleuana, Bebonuk and Comoro (all in Dili), as well as Ulmera in Liquiçá.
The PCIC reiterates its commitment to the fight against transnational crime in Timor-Leste, calling for the collaboration of the community and reaffirming that it will continue to act rigorously to dismantle networks linked to this type of crime.