Five men arrested for the drug haul were due to face trafficking charges in Timor-Leste this week.

Attorney General Jose Da Costa Ximenes said two men had been charged and were in police custody. He said police intelligence had revealed the other three men were on the run in Indonesia.

Ximenes said Timor-Leste police were working with Indonesian police on the case but no arrest had been made.

The President of the Republic, Francisco Gutteres Lu Olo, praised the  Court of Appeal for its professional conduct in handling drug cases.

The case comes as representatives from Timor-Leste’s drug squad attend an INTERPOL Criminal network-training program in Fiji this week targeting Pacific region.

According to a statement from the global training drug trafficking is on the rise.

"Worryingly, we don't know what percentage of the trade isn't being found," said Commodore Stephen Woodall, the Australian Navy's assistant secretary for the Pacific and Timor-Leste.