Authorities have launched a crackdown on fraudulent foreign employment agencies operating under the guise of visa consultancy services, following multiple complaints of large-scale financial scams across the country.
The Special Investigation Unit of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has expanded raids targeting institutions accused of defrauding job seekers by falsely promising overseas employment opportunities.
In one operation in the Ja-Ela and Kadana areas, officers raided an establishment accused of collecting Rs. 3.6 million from two individuals, claiming to secure truck driver jobs in Romania. Following complaints received by the Bureau, investigators arrested the owner and seized documents and a laptop allegedly used to prepare employment contracts. The suspect was produced before the Welisara Magistrate’s Court and remanded.
A woman alleged to have assisted in the scam was later summoned to the Bureau to provide a statement. Officers recovered the complainants’ passports from her possession. She was subsequently arrested and remanded until February 25 by court order.
In a separate raid in Negombo on February 17, officials targeted another establishment accused of promoting overseas job opportunities through social media and collecting large sums of money by falsely promising employment in Europe and Canada.
According to the Bureau, the owner of the institution allegedly collected Rs. 5.5 million from a complainant after promising a caregiving job in Canada but failed to deliver the employment. During the raid, officers seized employment-related documents and a passport from the premises.
The suspect was produced before the Negombo Magistrate’s Court and was later released on bail after agreeing to make a payment of Rs. 250,000 in court.
Authorities have urged the public to verify whether agencies are properly registered with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment before making any payments. Investigations are ongoing. (Newswire)
