61 Indonesians Arrested in Online Scam Syndicate Raid in Timor-Leste

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that 61 Indonesian nationals were arrested by Timor-Leste authorities for their alleged involvement in an online scam syndicate and are currently being investigated.

Director for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Heni Hamidah, said the Indonesians were apprehended during a raid on an online scam center on 27 June 2026.

"According to our records, 67 Indonesian nationals were arrested on 27 June, with six of them managing to escape," Heni said during a press briefing in Jakarta on Thursday, 9 July 2026.

Heni said the preliminary investigation suggests that one of the 61 Indonesians who remain in custody allegedly acted as a supervisor for the other workers. She added that the Indonesian government continues to monitor the legal process in Timor-Leste, including the possibility of repatriating the detainees once the investigation is completed.

"We are still monitoring whether the Indonesian nationals who were arrested can be repatriated in the near future," she said.

Heni added that at least five of the arrested Indonesians had previously worked in Cambodia. According to her, the finding suggests a broader trend of online scam networks relocating to other Southeast Asian countries following Cambodia's intensified crackdown on scam operations.

"Following the raids on online scam centers in Cambodia, former Indonesia-based workers in Cambodia have dispersed to several countries, including Timor-Leste," she said.

According to data from the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh, 12,019 Indonesian nationals sought assistance to return home between January and June 2026. The figure is more than double the total number of cases recorded throughout 2025, which stood at 5,088.

Although repatriation efforts continue, the embassy noted that Indonesian nationals continue to travel to Cambodia to work for online scam networks.