Crime in Brunei

In 2024, Brunei recorded 5,387 cases and 1,555 arrests, compared with 4,754 cases and 1,471 arrests in 2023. The published categories included 485 offences against persons, 1,443 offences against property, 2,684 other Penal Code offences, 447 cases under the Misuse of Drugs Act and 328 cases under other laws. These are aggregate police and narcotics statistics; arrest figures count people and do not represent convictions, and the categories cannot be treated as a complete ranking of individual offence types. The Royal Brunei Police Force, locally called Pasukan Polis Diraja Brunei and commonly abbreviated RBPF or PPDB, handles police reports, investigations and public crime warnings across Brunei-Muara, Tutong, Belait and Temburong. District police stations and local stations serve places including Bandar Seri Begawan, Kampong Ayer, Berakas, Muara, Sengkurong, Limau Manis, Tutong, Lamunin, Kuala Belait, Sungai Liang, Panaga, Labi, Seria and Bangar. The police headquarters is in Tungku Gadong. For non-urgent crime information, contact the RBPF crime-information office; for suspected fraud, call Anti-Fraud Assistance on 16993. Call 993 when a crime is happening, someone is threatened or immediate police intervention is needed. Otherwise, contact the nearest Balai Polis or district police station. Prepare the incident description, location, time, people involved, available evidence and identification details; passport or residence information may be relevant. Ask for a police report. Public information does not establish a general online police-reporting system, guaranteed interpretation, anonymity, fixed investigation deadlines or automatic compensation, so confirm those points with the responsible station. Protect homes and vehicles, keep valuables and passports out of sight, do not leave valuables in an unattended vehicle and take care in isolated places. Use registered taxis or authorised limousines where appropriate. Do not confront suspected offenders or use self-help violence. After a road accident, a driver should remain at the scene and avoid moving the vehicle until the police arrive; call 993 when police attendance is needed. A traffic accident is not automatically a crime, while deliberate violence, theft or fraud belongs to this subject. Scams, phishing, identity misuse, account takeovers and other cybercrime are relevant risks. Do not give personal, banking or card details to unknown callers or follow Telegram instructions that demand secrecy. Do not lend or rent bank accounts or register SIM cards for strangers, and verify supposed bank or police contacts through an independent official channel. Preserve screenshots, URLs, telephone numbers, chats, timestamps and payment or account records. Change compromised passwords and activate two-factor authentication. BruCERT, Brunei's national and government cyber incident team, provides incident handling, vulnerability handling, computer, mobile and network forensics, alerts and secure-connection support; reports can be sent by email or telephone through its official contact channels. Contact the police in parallel when the incident involves fraud, hacking, extortion or account misuse because BruCERT does not replace a police report. The Department of Community Development, known as JAPEM, supports cases involving family problems, domestic violence, abuse of women, wives or children and sexual harassment. Talian Kebajikan is available on 141, JAPEM can be reached on +673 2382911 and the child helpline Talian ANAK is available on 121. The Family, Women and Children section can assess safety and coordinate with the RBPF Women and Child Abuse Investigation Unit and hospital medical social work. KRK provides a place of safety for children and women, including people affected by human trafficking, with psychosocial, physical and emotional support and links to police, courts and embassies. Admission, costs and duration depend on the case and are not fully published. For physical abuse or torture, seek hospital care immediately. Unit Kanak-Kanak handles reports concerning children and young people under 18, including physical, sexual or emotional violence, neglect, exploitation, serious social problems and behaviour that caregivers cannot safely control. It can assess safety and arrange safe care, including a Welfare Home or place of safety. Children and young people may also be handled through KRK in juvenile arrest cases. Details of criminal offences and criminal proceedings belong to criminal-law information, while a pure consumer complaint belongs to consumer protection and natural disasters belong to disaster information.