The Commander of the Border Patrol Unit (UPF), Superintendent Euclides Belo, said that crossing the land border between Timor-Leste and Indonesia using illegal routes is dangerous for people’s lives, and therefore urged all citizens to use official border posts.
He said that illegal routes starting from the municipalities of Bobonaro, Covalima, and Oe-Cusse pose serious risks to life.
“These illegal routes are dangerous for people’s lives, so we ask citizens to avoid them and instead use official border posts,” said UPF Commander Superintendent Belo.
Superintendent Belo recalled that in recent years, there have been cases where citizens lost their lives after entering Indonesia via illegal routes.
He stated that citizens can legally cross through Batugade, Mota-Masin, Oesilo, and Sakato posts to enter Indonesia.
“We ask citizens to comply by using the official entry points. If citizens fail to comply, we will take strict action against them,” he said.
He added that the UPF will continue to ensure security along the border, and when citizens do not comply with the rules or attempt to enter illegally, the UPF will apply measures in line with existing legal procedures.
Recently, the Border Patrol Unit (UPF) managed to capture 91 citizens who attempted to cross into Indonesia using illegal routes.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of Fundasaun Mahein (FM), Nelson Belo, said that such illegal activities are not new but occur every year, which is why border control needs to be strengthened.
“Strengthening control also requires increasing personnel because we see the Border Patrol Unit (UPF) does not have enough staff to cover all the posts,” he said.He explained that most Timorese who cross illegally do so for business activities, as border communities often rely on Indonesia for their basic needs.
