Weak maritime, air and land border security has contributed to the expansion of the illicit drug trade in Timor-Leste, according to Fundasaun Mahein director Nelson Belo.
“Because of these weaknesses it’s easy for people to get in and out of the country and to organize themselves here,” he said.
Belo said the Dili Port lacked adequate facilities and staff to detect drugs, as did the international airport.
Porous land borders also made drug detection difficult, as the National Police of Timor-Leste’s (PNTL) Frontier Police Unit lacked the resources to patrol the entire border.
Belo said a lack of information in communities about drugs exacerbated the problem, as this dearth of knowledge gave drug traffickers easy access to communities.
“This isn’t a problem just for the PNTL, but it’s a national problem that needs a strong policy,” he said.
Secretary of State for Security Francisco Guterres said PNTL had set up drug detection equipment at the nation’s international airport.
“We’ve see in this and last month that PNTL managed to ruin drug traffickers, which is good progress,” he said.
He added the State Secretariat for Security was working with PNTL and the Ministry of Justice to investigate and halt the trade of drugs in Timor-Leste.
Guterres said border police were looking at ways to strengthen their control of borders.
