Forty foreign nationals have been arrested in Gampaha and Hanwella over their involvement in large-scale online financial scams, Sri Lanka Police confirmed.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) made the arrests during raids conducted at a hotel on Hanwella Road, Gampaha, and a private establishment on Avissawella Road, Hanwella, based on a tip-off.
Among the arrested suspects are 30 Chinese nationals, 4 Indian nationals, and 6 Thai nationals. The group includes 29 Chinese men and one Chinese woman, one Indian man and three Indian women, and two Thai men and four Thai women.
Police revealed that the suspects had been involved in organized financial scams carried out via social media platforms and phone calls. Investigators seized 499 mobile phones, 25 laptops, and 29 desktop computers used in the fraudulent operations.
Further investigations have uncovered that the suspects were involved in multiple scam methods, including “investment scams” and “pig butchering scams,” targeting victims in countries such as China, Indonesia, Thailand, and several South Asian nations.
The CID is conducting further investigations with assistance from INTERPOL and Europol.(Newswire)
