DILI, 15 April 2026 (TATOLI) – Police in Timor-Leste have seized more than US$4 million in counterfeit cash during a raid in Dili, authorities said on Wednesday.
The operation was carried out by the Criminal Investigation Service under the Polícia Nacional de Timor-Leste following a search warrant issued by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Officers entered the premises at around 10:30 a.m. local time in an operation led by Chief Superintendent João Belo dos Reis.
Police said they discovered large quantities of counterfeit US$100 bill bundled into packages, each containing US$30,000. Suspected fake coins were also seized during the search.
Preliminary examinations confirmed that the money was counterfeit, authorities said. By Wednesday afternoon, investigators had counted more than $4 million, although the total amount is expected to rise as counting continues.
“We had received reports from the public in recent months about suspected counterfeit money,” João Belo told reporters at a press conference at the PNTL headquarters in Caicoli. “The case was referred to the Central Bank for verification, where the notes were compared with genuine currency and confirmed to be fake. Tests carried out after today’s seizure have again confirmed this.”
The seized money is now in the custody of the criminal investigation unit, he added.
Four people, including the warehouse owner, have been detained in connection with the case. Some of the suspects are Chinese nationals, according to police.
Authorities believe the seized cash may be linked to earlier cases of counterfeit currency circulating in the country. Previously, police confiscated about US$4,000 in fake notes in Taibessi, also in Dili, and suspect the incidents may share a common source.
President José Ramos-Horta said the counterfeit money could have originated abroad and may be connected to organized crime networks.
He praised the police operation, saying it demonstrated the capability of national authorities to detect such crimes. “This is not the first time counterfeit currency has appeared. It is a recurring global phenomenon,” he said.
Ramos-Horta noted that while the fake notes appeared highly sophisticated, they could still be identified by the banking system. “Banks can immediately detect that the notes are counterfeit, showing that even high-quality forgeries cannot deceive experienced institutions,” he said.
The president called for strict penalties for those involved and urged authorities to act decisively. “Companies or individuals implicated, directly or indirectly, must be held accountable swiftly. There can be no tolerance,” he added.
Interior Minister Francisco Guterres said the discovery does not indicate a failure of national security, noting that currency counterfeiting occurs worldwide.
He urged the public to verify suspicious banknotes with the Central Bank of Timor-Leste.
Journalist: Afonso do Rosário
Editor: Isaura Lemos de Deus
Translation: Filomeno Martins
