The Kandy racket that extorts money by promising to send people to Australia has been caught.

Two youths who illegally defrauded money by promising jobs in Australia were arrested yesterday (12) in the Kandy area by officers of the Police Unit belonging to the Special Investigation Division of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment. It has been revealed that they were operating a visa consultancy center based in Kandy city.

This arrest was prompted by a complaint lodged with the Bureau by a resident of Gampaha. The youths, through an institution named 'EGA Visa Consultancy' which they operated, had promised a job in Australia and obtained a sum of 3.5 million rupees (35 lakhs), and this complaint was made due to the failure to provide the promised job. Accordingly, Bureau investigation officers took steps to raid the said institution yesterday.

During the raid, it was confirmed that this institution was operating illegally under the guise of a visa consultancy without obtaining any valid license from the Bureau of Foreign Employment. The arrested suspects are two 23-year-old youths residing in the Gampola and Talatuoya areas. From the raided location, 7 foreign employment agreements, 5 passports, and receipt books proving the collection of money were taken into the custody of the investigation officers.

The two arrested suspect youths were scheduled to be produced before the Kandy Magistrate's Court today (13). This raid was carried out under the direct supervision of Mr. Kamal Ariyawansa, Director of the Central Criminal Investigation Division, Senior Superintendent of Police. Chief Inspector P.B. Ariyasinghe, OIC of the Bureau's Special Investigation Unit, Inspector T.B. de Alwis, Police Sergeant Marasinghe, along with two officers from the Bureau's Kandy Provincial Office, participated in the operation.