152 foreigners involved in internet fraud arrested

152 foreigners who were illegally residing in the country and engaged in large-scale financial fraud via the internet have been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department while hiding in a tourist hotel located in Ambalakandawila, Chilaw. The arrested individuals, including Chinese, Vietnamese, and Malaysian nationals, were apprehended during this special operation carried out around 5:00 PM on the 2nd.

Investigations have confirmed that none of these suspects possessed valid visas to stay in Sri Lanka. Out of the total arrested, 133 are Chinese nationals, including 7 women and 126 men. Additionally, three Vietnamese women, 10 Vietnamese men, and one Malaysian man were also caught in this raid.

Following a lengthy observation conducted jointly by the Chilaw Army Intelligence and Police Intelligence, and based on information provided by Chilaw Police, officers from the Computer Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department and the Colombo Crime Investigation Unit jointly launched this raid. It has been revealed that they had been staying at the said hotel for several days and orchestrating this sophisticated internet fraud. Two Chinese nationals who attempted to flee the hotel during the raid were injured, and the police have arranged for them to be admitted to the Chilaw District General Hospital for treatment.

During this operation, investigating officers seized 99 laptop computers, 26 desktop computers, and 259 mobile phones from the suspects. Over the past few weeks, a large number of foreigners involved in similar internet financial frauds have been arrested from various parts of the island, and Chilaw Police further states that a similar group of Chinese nationals was previously arrested at a leading tourist hotel in the Chilaw area.