Australian Federal Police
Strategic Indo-Pacific partner. Cooperation against transnational organised crime, trafficking in persons, drug trafficking, money laundering, and cybercrime.
The partnership with the Australian Federal Police sits within the broader bilateral relationship between Timor-Leste and Australia, one of the country's closest strategic partners since independence. Australia was present at the most critical moments of recent Timorese history - the INTERFET mission of 1999, UNTAET, and the stabilisation missions that followed - and police cooperation is a natural dimension of that long-standing relationship.
The AFP is one of the most sophisticated police forces in the Indo-Pacific region, with recognised capabilities in precisely the areas of greatest concern for PCIC and the Timorese justice system: combating transnational organised crime, trafficking in persons, drug trafficking, financial crime, money laundering, and cybercrime. The geographical proximity of the two countries - and the maritime routes that link them - makes this cooperation particularly relevant operationally.
The relationship between PCIC and the AFP has developed progressively, benefiting from Australian expertise in complex investigations and from the AFP's extensive network of international cooperation in the region. The AFP operates in multiple Southeast Asian and Pacific countries, giving it a privileged view of the patterns and routes of transnational crime affecting Timor-Leste. Sharing this criminal intelligence is one of the most valuable assets of this partnership.
PCIC's 2020-2030 Strategic Plan sets as a goal the conclusion of a formal partnership agreement with the AFP, creating a structured framework of operational collaboration, joint training, and information sharing. Concluding this agreement will be an important step in consolidating PCIC's investigative capacity and strengthening regional security.