32 Chinese nationals staying at a hotel in Panadura and computers taken into custody

A massive police raid has been launched on a hotel in the Panadura area, in search of another suspicious operation by organized foreign financial fraud networks reported from various parts of the island throughout the past period. 32 Chinese nationals who were staying at this hotel, located in the Naldhiruwa area, which falls under the Panadura South Police Division, along with a stock of computers and other equipment, have now been taken into police custody.

Information received by the Senior Superintendent of Police in charge of the Panadura Division, indicating that this group was engaged in an illegal business or financial fraud using the internet, led to this raid. Accordingly, the Panadura Divisional Criminal Investigation Unit, acting on a search warrant obtained from the Panadura Magistrate's Court, carried out this special operation on November 06 and 07, 2026.

Due to the nature of this investigation, the police have taken steps to enlist the support of several institutions. Accordingly, the Criminal Investigation Department, the Police Special Task Force, the Criminal Records Division, and the Police Canine Division were involved in these searches, and the assistance of the Department of Official Languages was also obtained for the investigation.

To ascertain whether any crime has been committed by the 32 Chinese nationals who were staying at the hotel, 23 computers and other equipment found in their possession have been handed over to the Panadura South Police Station. Further investigations into the incident are currently being carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department.

The Sri Lanka Police had uncovered a trend during the past period where foreign nationals, especially in groups, arrive in the island and engage in financial fraud while staying in hotels, lodges, resorts, and other accommodation facilities. For this reason, the police request the relevant owners to pay attention to this matter when providing their accommodation. Furthermore, the police also inform the public to report any information regarding such suspicious activities to emergency numbers 118, 119, or to the nearest police station.