Serious Crimes Unit

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The Serious Crimes Unit was the official title given to an elite unit of International Police investigators during the United Nations 1999 to 2004 mission in East Timor. The unit ultimately took over the investigation of Human Rights violations alleged to have been committed in East Timor by Indonesian and pro-Indonesian military forces during 1999, from the UN Mandate that began in February, 1999.

Many of the cases that were eventually handled by this unit included cases previously overseen by the UNTAET Crime Scene Detachment. One member of that squad of investigators, Karl Clark, played an intricate part in the Serious Crimes Unit investigations, and it's eventual prosecution of war crimes suspects. The unit originated in 2000, and functioned into 2004 until the close of the United Nations operations in East Timor.