A suspected scam call operation and a network of companies was discovered with links to a new free trade zone in Timor-Leste, the UN Office of Drugs and Crime said.
Police raided a suspected scam centre in late August in the Special Administrative Region of Oecusse, detaining more than 30 foreigners for working without permission.
The people detained came from Indonesia, Malaysia and China, but the UNODC report said it was unclear if they had been trafficked.
Oecusse is an exclave of Timor-Leste on the Indonesian half of the island the two countries share, and the region’s government opened a free trade zone called Oecusse Digital Centre in December 2024.
“The scale and nature of the activity we are now seeing – similar to what we were seeing at the earlier stages of South-East Asia’s scam industry – shows how far things have progressed,” said Benedikt Hofmann, deputy regional representative at UNODC for South-East Asia and the Pacific.
“This is concerning, especially given the boost in connectivity Timor-Leste will be experiencing as part of becoming a full member of Asean.”
The UNODC said other companies with apparent links to scam networks were also found to be active in the region.
The agency said one, an online gaming company, is connected with casino networks in Cambodia, owned by a Cambodian businessman with links to a criminal gang leader and sanctioned by the United States.
Across South-East Asian countries, free trade zones or special economic zones have been exploited to facilitate cyber-enabled scams, money laundering and other crimes.
Last year, the Philippines launched a nationwide crackdown in which the government deported thousands of workers found in scam centres.
In February, Thailand, Myanmar and China launched a joint action that saw thousands of workers released. — AP
