Timor-leste warns of foreign crime infiltration amid scandal links

Timor-Leste's President José Ramos-Horta has warned the country is vulnerable to infiltration by foreign organized crime groups, amid reports of alleged links to a sanctioned 'scam' empire.

Proposed resort project under scrutiny

A joint investigation by The Guardian and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project has uncovered alleged connections between three individuals involved in a proposed 'blockchain theme' resort project in Dili and the Prince Group, a real estate and financial conglomerate sanctioned by the US and UK in October.

The Prince Group, headed by founder Chen Zhi, was indicted by US authorities in October for allegedly running scam compounds reliant on human trafficking that targeted victims globally with online fraud schemes, resulting in billions of dollars in losses.

Ramos-Horta, in a statement, acknowledged the risk of unnamed scam networks infiltrating Timor-Leste, citing a UN warning issued last year after the raid of an alleged unrelated scam operation in Oecusse. However, he insisted he does not see any organized crime installed in the country currently.
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Australian support for local law enforcement

Australian Federal Police confirmed to The Guardian that they are providing support to local law enforcement in Timor-Leste, including a December 2025 visit from digital forensic and cyber experts.

The AFP stated the increased focus on cybercrime and digital forensics capability development in the region is in response to the threat of online scam centers.

A spokesperson for the Prince Group denied the allegations, describing them as