157 foreigners involved in cyber crimes arrested in Rajagiriya and Talangama

A series of massive operations to arrest a large number of foreigners engaged in illegal financial scams and cybercrimes online while residing in Sri Lanka is currently underway. As the latest step in this effort, over one hundred and fifty foreigners have been taken into custody by security forces during raids centered in the Rajagiriya and Talangama areas.

Police successfully raided an international financial fraud center secretly operated by nearly 120 foreigners who were residing on rent in a multi-story apartment complex on Meda Welikada Road, Rajagiriya. It has been confirmed that among these suspects are nationals from China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Madagascar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Cambodia. A stock of computers and mobile phones found in their possession during the raid has been taken into police custody, and Welikada Police have already launched further operations to locate others who fled the scene.

Concurrently, on May 2nd, the Walana Central Anti-Corruption Force and Talangama Police jointly conducted another raid in the Koswatta area, arresting 37 Chinese nationals suspected of involvement in computer crimes. This group, aged between 23 and 44, includes 36 males and one female. The Kaduwela Magistrate's Court has ordered the remand of these individuals, arrested under the Computer Crimes Act, until the 7th of next month. The house where they were staying has been sealed, and 35 desktop computers, 37 tablets, 147 mobile phones, and approximately 100 SIM cards found there have been sent to the Computer Crime Investigation Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the majority of the arrested foreigners arrived in the country on three-month tourist visas. Among those arrested in Talangama, two were staying in the country without valid visas, and another without a passport. Additionally, the police found 2100 illegal cigarettes in the possession of one suspect. It is suspected that these individuals rented luxury houses and engaged in hacking attacks and online financial scams.

Since March of last year, over 320 Chinese nationals have been apprehended by law enforcement in various parts of Sri Lanka for such cybercrimes. In mid-March, 126 Chinese nationals were arrested from the Anuradhapura and Mihintale areas, and 16 from Negombo at the end of March. Additionally, in early April, nearly 150 foreigners were arrested in the Iranawila area of Chilaw with 100 laptops and over 250 mobile phones, in what was described as the country's largest online financial fraud operation. Subsequently, on April 16th, 9 Chinese nationals were also caught by security forces at Katunayake Airport with 383 mobile phones and 101 tablets.