Sri Lanka apprehends more than 230 Chinese nationals during cybercrime raids

(MENAFN) Sri Lankan police have detained over 230 Chinese nationals suspected of orchestrating online scams targeting international banks, according to a statement from the foreign minister on Tuesday. The arrests were made with assistance from security officials dispatched by Beijing, highlighting the collaborative effort to address this issue. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath noted that recent police operations have also resulted in the confiscation of 250 computers and 500 mobile phones believed to have been utilized in these scams, with investigations ongoing to determine the total amount of money that may have been stolen.

Herath indicated that the criminal gangs primarily focused on foreign banks and financial institutions during their fraudulent activities. The Chinese embassy in Colombo confirmed the deployment of a "working group" of security officials who are conducting "special operations" alongside Sri Lankan police forces. The embassy stated that a significant number of criminal suspects have been apprehended and that processes for repatriation and other legal measures are currently in progress.

The most extensive raid occurred on Saturday, resulting in the arrest of 126 Chinese individuals, as well as two Vietnamese, one Thai, and one Filipino national. Sri Lanka's robust telecommunications infrastructure, which notably included the rollout of a 5G network in April 2019—three years prior to the country's financial crisis—has facilitated these cyber activities. The Chinese embassy's statement also suggested that China's intensified crackdown on cybercriminals domestically may have prompted some to seek illegal opportunities abroad, reinforcing the need for international cooperation in law enforcement.

In a related development, Sri Lankan police had previously arrested around 200 suspects in June, primarily of Indian nationality, who were also linked to online financial scams. This ongoing situation reflects a broader issue of cross-border cybercrime and the complexities involved in addressing it through international collaboration.

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