Six foreign nationals were arrested in Gandara on Wednesday (06) during a raid carried out by officers of the Matara Division Crimes Investigation Unit at a hotel in the Talalla area.

According to the Police, the suspects, five men and one woman, were taken into custody for allegedly remaining in Sri Lanka without valid visas, engaging in financial fraud, conducting business activities on tourist visas, and possessing duty‑free cigarettes brought into the country illegally.

The suspects, aged between 25 and 40 years, were identified as nationals of Taiwan and China.

They were produced before the Gandara Police Station, which is conducting further investigations. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Police say a 22‑year‑old resident of Minuwangoda has been arrested in connection with a financial fraud involving a fake website created to resemble the official site of a private bank.

According to the Computer Crimes Investigation Division, North Western Province Unit, investigations began following a complaint lodged on February 16, 2026. 

The suspect is alleged to have defrauded Rs. 1,000,024 by operating the fraudulent site.

Police said the suspect was taken into custody yesterday (20) and produced before the Wariyapola Police Station. He is scheduled to be presented before the Kurunegala Magistrate’s Court today (21).

The Computer Crimes Investigation Division is conducting further inquiries into the incident. (Newswire)

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Sri Lankan police recently repatriated 125 individuals suspected of involvement in telecom fraud to China, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said on Thursday.

According to Chinese media, Xinhua, the suspects had been apprehended during earlier crackdown operations in Sri Lanka. 

These suspects were repatriated on March 29 with the support of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka and Chinese police, according to the MPS.

The joint operation was a result of deepened international law enforcement cooperation between Chinese and Sri Lankan police to intensify crackdown efforts on cross-border telecom fraud, the MPS said.

Since the beginning of this year, the police of the two countries have stepped up cooperation in response to the notable trend of some individuals involved in telecom fraud and related underground industries relocating from other countries to Sri Lanka.

Recently, Sri Lankan police carried out multiple crackdown operations, dismantled several fraud dens, and apprehended several individuals involved in telecom fraud, the MPS said.

Public security organs in central China’s Hubei Province, which participated in the repatriation work, are investigating the cases.

An MPS official pledged to continue enhancing law enforcement cooperation with more countries and to jointly establish a pragmatic and efficient new framework for cracking down on transnational crimes. (Xinhua)

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The Sri Lanka Police have arrested 18 foreign nationals in Negombo on charges of online fraud. 

According to the Police Media Unit, the suspects were arrested during a raid conducted on a lodge in Negombo on Friday (27).

The group consists of 16 Chinese nationals and two Cambodians. The Police have seized computer equipment during the raid. 

The suspects have been remanded until April 06 after being produced before the Negombo Magistrate’s Court. (Newswire)

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A group of Vietnamese nationals engaged in fraudulent money transactions via the internet was arrested on Tuesday (24), it was reported.

According to the Police Media Division, the 09 suspects had arrived in Sri Lanka on tourist visas and were engaged in online fraud. 

The suspects were arrested from a house in the Godakanda area, under the Poddala Police Division. 

Police seized a computer, a laptop, and 84 mobile phones from the suspects during the operation.

The raid was carried out by a team of Galle Police officers, acting on information received from the Boossa Army Intelligence Unit. 

The arrested suspects have been handed over to the Poddala Police for further investigations and are due to be produced before the Galle Magistrate’s Court tomorrow. (Newswire)

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Three suspects have been remanded for defrauding over Rs. 05 million from cancer patients through online and mobile fraud. 

According to the Police, the suspects have reached out to cancer patients via phone, claiming to assist with collecting donations for treatment and had obtained their personal details, including bank accounts.

They had then created fake National Identity Cards (NIC) using the details of the cancer patients and had also obtained new SIM cards from mobile operators, claiming that the previous number had been lost. 

After receiving SIM cards with the same numbers as the cancer patients, they are reported to have accessed their bank accounts and stolen money, amounting to more than Rs. 5 million.

Following several complaints in this regard, Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officials arrested a man and two women regarding the fraud.

The suspects were produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday and have been remanded.  

The public, especially cancer patients, has been warned of such online and mobile fraud, with authorities urging not to share personal information with unknown persons. (Newswire) 

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Two, including a social media activist, have been arrested for defrauding Rs. 2.9 million online under a fake account identified as ‘Little Harts’. 

According to the Police, the suspects had defrauded the public by collecting donations under the fake account. 

Investigations by the Computer Crime Investigation Division of the Police had led to the arrest of the two suspects yesterday.

The 28-year-old social media activist, identified as Senadeerage Dulan Maheshitha, was arrested in the Pallivasalthurai area in Kalpitiya.

The other suspect aged 23 years was arrested in the Karamba area in Norochcholai.

The suspects are to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court. (Newswire)

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The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) has warned of an increase in online financial scams targeting the festive season. 

SLCERT’s Chief Information Security Officer, Nirosh Ananda said complaints have been received of the public being financially defrauded by receiving calls claiming to have won gifts.

He further said that complaints have also been received regarding some irregularities using AI technology.

Nirosh Ananda requested the public to remain vigilant of such online financial frauds. (Newswire)

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The Galle Habour Police have arrested 08 foreign nationals for engaging in online financial fraud from their temporary lodging located on Udugama Road in Galle. 

According to the police, the suspects were arrested following a raid carried out at the premises yesterday based on a tip-off from the Galle Police.

The arrested suspects include 6 Chinese nationals, one person from Kazakhstan, and another from Kyrgyzstan, aged between 24 and 36 years. 

The Police recovered 09 computers, 73 mobile phones, and several SIM cards from the suspects’ possession. 

The Galle Police is conducting further investigations. (Newswire)

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A group of over 50 foreigners was apprehended in Puttalam on Tuesday for their involvement in online financial fraud.

Acting Police Spokesman DIG Ruwan Gunasekera said the group includes 44 men and 09 women. 

Stating that the suspects had operated from a hotel in the Kalpitiya area in Puttalam, he said the Police had raided the hotel after obtaining a court order. 

DIG Ruwan Gunasekera said that the Police had recovered 98 mobile phones, 44 computers, and several ISM cards during the raid. 

Upon interrogations of the suspects, the Police had apprehended two more suspects and had also recovered over Rs. 10 million in cash from their possession. (Newswire)

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The Police say the online financial fraud carried out by foreign nationals, including Indians, Pakistanis, and Nepalese, from Sri Lanka has severely impacted the nation’s economy.

Addressing the media on Friday, Police spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa said this issue is also considered a threat to national security.

DIG Thalduwa said 137 Indians have been arrested so far from luxury houses in various areas for having conducted online financial fraud through online gambling websites.

The group who had arrived in Sri Lanka on tourist visas have defrauded Indians by operating gambling websites from Sri Lanka, defrauding millions in cash. 

Meanwhile, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has apprehended 30 Chinese nationals for engaging in online financial fraud in Sri Lanka. 

DIG Nihal Thalduwa said the group was arrested from a hotel in Negombo yesterday based on a tip-off.

The Police have seized equipment, including laptops and computers, used to carry out their activities. 

The Police Spokesman has requested the public to verify the details and activities of their tenants before renting out their houses. 

He further warned that houses used for illegal activities can be seized as government assets. 

The Sri Lanka Police is conducting further investigations into the online financial fraud racket being operated from Sri Lanka. (Newswire)

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An investigation has been launched into online financial fraud conducted offering courier services by setting up a website similar to the official website of Sri Lanka’s Postal Department, it was reported.  

Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis was informed in this regard by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on Wednesday (Oct 24), with the CID further saying that the probe had been launched based on a complaint made by the Postmaster General.

The CID explained that the fraud had been conducted via an online banking system created for courier service on a website similar to that of the Postal Department.

The public is said to have received SMSs on parcels for them which require to be collected and could be done by visiting the said website and providing their bank and credit/debit card details and a payment of Rs. 95 as stamp duty.

The CID informed the court that fraudsters had earned millions in rupees by accessing the bank details of those who had fallen victim to the online fraud.

Providing details on the probe, the CID said investigations are underway to ascertain the involvement of Postal Department employees or if it is being carried out by outsiders.

The CID also requested the court to issue an order to the banks to provide analytical reports regarding the credit accounts. (NewsWire)

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