Sri Lankan authorities have intensified a major crackdown on cybercrime networks in recent days, arresting over 260 foreigners suspected of involvement in online scam or cyber fraud rings.
Last Thursday, Sri Lankan police arrested 30 Chinese and Vietnamese nationals in the Werahera area near Colombo, bringing the total number of arrests since the past weekend to 261.
Earlier, authorities detained another 74 Vietnamese nationals in Colombo, with the court ordering their detention until 14 May.
Sri Lankan police revealed that many suspects entered the country on tourist visas but worked illegally, while some overstayed their visas.
Officials raided a suspected operations center in the Kollupitiya area, seizing numerous computers and mobile phones for forensic examination. The suspects, aged 19 to 39, were mostly foreigners overstaying in the country.
The Chinese embassy in Colombo stated it is closely coordinating with the Sri Lankan government to prevent Chinese nationals from being involved in online scam operations in the country.
It also noted that Sri Lanka's telecommunications infrastructure and relatively lenient visa policies have made the country an attractive base for criminals.
Previously, in March, Sri Lankan authorities arrested over 135 Chinese nationals suspected of running online scam operations from a hotel in the northwest of the country, later repatriating them to China. In 2024, authorities also arrested 230 Chinese and 200 Indian nationals linked to cybercrime centers nationwide.
Source:channelnewsasia
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