DILI, 27 March 2025 (TATOLI)— The Police of Scientific Criminal Investigation (PCIC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indonesian National Police (POLRI) to prevent transnational crimes that occur in the territory of Timor-Leste and the Republic of Indonesia.
The MoU was signed by the Director of PCIC, Vicente Fernandes, and the Head of the International Relations Division of the Indonesian National Police, Inspector General Krina Murti, and witnessed by the Minister of Justice of Timor-Leste, Sergio Hornai, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia in Timor-Leste, Okto Dorinus Manik. The signing took place at the office of the Ministry of Justice, Colmera, Dili, Wednesday (26/03).
The Minister of Justice, Sergio Hornai, said that this cooperation is a fundamental commitment for both countries by uniting the cooperation between the police in dealing with the problems faced in the prevention and eradication of transnational crimes.
“The Indonesian National Police, through the Police Division that deals with international cooperation issues, together with the PCIC, through the Ministry of Justice, established an agreement as an alliance. They can work together to exchange information at the institutional level of the Indonesian Police Criminal Investigation Agency or the Criminal Investigation Directorate with the PCIC,’ said Minister Sergio Hornai.
He explained that this cooperation agreement prioritizes the exchange of information between the two countries through the mode of operation if POLRI detects or PCIC detects someone committing a crime or conducting illegal activities and hiding in Timor-Leste and vice versa and the police suspect or detect, then through this agreement there is a possibility between PCIC and POLRI to cooperate to make arrests.
“The cooperation agreement between PCIC and POLRI in the future provides an opportunity for PCIC and POLRI to assist each other through good practices for the mutual benefit of preventing organized crime. Indonesia is a large country with complex cases. So, in the future, we can help Timor-Leste with organized crime issues,” he said.
According to him, the agreement between PCIC and POLRI provides an opportunity for PCIC in the future to join the Criminal Investigation Agency to cooperate with the Indonesian Police. “We started to show the political will to have regular meetings to start preventing organized crime,” he said.
At the same place, the Indonesian Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Okto Dorinos Manik, said the signing of the cooperation was for the prevention and control of transnational crime between Timor-Leste and Indonesia.
‘This is part of strengthening bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Actually, we have been preparing this MoU for a long time, and we are grateful that today it can be implemented, and this is a concrete thing that we do to tackle transnational crimes and capacity building,’ explained the ambassador.
He said that Indonesia and Timor-Leste are two countries that share a direct border so that it can facilitate this cooperation.
He affirmed that the challenges of transnational crimes in the future are increasingly complex due to rapid information technology, and this cooperation can strengthen the relationship between the two countries in tackling transnational crimes.
In addition, PCIC Director Vicente Fernandes said the signing of this memorandum of understanding was in order to strengthen bilateral cooperation with the Indonesian police in the field of preventing transnational crimes, trafficking crimes, drug trafficking, and other crimes, including training for PCIC investigators and, in the future, paving the way for PCIC laboratory services, formalizing the exchange of information and experience.
“We need a situation like this because the problem of transnational crime has become a global concern, so this memorandum of understanding is a point because we see the movement of people in Indonesia’s border areas with neighboring countries is accelerating both positively and negatively. So with cooperation, we can prevent transnational crimes and complex crimes”,” he said.
Reporter : Mirandolina Barros Soares/Translator: Camilio de Sousa
Editor : Armandina Moniz/Rafael Ximenes de A. Belo
