120 foreigners remanded for illegal financial scams

Colombo Additional Magistrate Nuwan Kaushalya today (15) ordered 120 foreigners involved in illegal financial scams to be further remanded until the 22nd.

The Welikada Police informed the court that after the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Response Team examined 3 computers found in the apartment related to the incident, it was revealed that these nationals hacked money from California and Saudi Arabia while being in Sri Lanka.

A group of foreigners arrested at a location on Meda Welikada Road in Rajagiriya was remanded until today in this manner.

In relation to the investigations conducted regarding the visas of the suspects in this incident, the Magistrate ordered the Registrar to issue notices to the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration and a representative of his to appear in court to present facts to the court.

This order was issued after the suspects were presented before the Colombo Additional Magistrate today.

The police arrested 120 foreigners at an apartment located on Meda Welikada Road in Rajagiriya on charges of engaging in illegal financial scams and unlawful activities.

The police stated that this group of foreign nationals includes citizens of countries such as China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Madagascar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Cambodia, and a large number of computers and mobile phones in their possession were also seized.

The Magistrate announced there that, since it is difficult to present the suspects to court using the names of the foreign nationals, the suspects will be presented to court using numbers.

Further presenting facts to the court regarding the incident, the Welikada Police OIC, Chief Inspector Saman Jayasinghe, stated that according to the orders obtained on the previous day, the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Response Team examined three computers that were in the building.

The police said that at that time, money was still circulating in those computers as currency and wallets, and IP addresses were found there.

The Welikada Police OIC, Chief Inspector Saman Jayasinghe, further stated this while presenting facts to the court regarding the incident.

"Your Honour, 120 foreign nationals related to the incident were presented to the court. A further report regarding the incident is presented to the court today. Based on information received from the intelligence unit and civil officers of the Welikada Police Division that a suspicious group of foreigners is staying at the above address, investigations were started under the instructions of the Senior Deputy Inspector General in charge of the Western Province. This fake fraud was carried out at No. 26, Rajagiriya. Having obtained search warrants for this location, Welikada Police officers and several officers of the Computer Division of the Criminal Investigation Department jointly inspected the building on 2 May 2026."

"There, 89 male foreign nationals and 31 females were arrested. This building is a seven-storey building with a ball-type gate. There is only a small iron gate for entry."

"A special security officer is deployed there. No outsider can enter. Entry is only through inserting cards. These suspects did not extend any cooperation when being arrested."

"Even the Kotte Divisional Secretary was informed about this incident and an inquiry was made through the Grama Niladhari. Investigations revealed on the 3rd that 73 male foreign nationals and 19 female foreign nationals possess visas, while the other 28 foreign nationals are staying without visas. An investigation is underway to determine whether they can arrive in Sri Lanka and engage in employment if they have visas."

"The countries of the suspects who do not have visas could only be identified from the statements they provided. Furthermore, the investigating officer informed the court that protective walls are constructed around the land so that no one can enter the seven-storey building where these suspects are, and the building complex is made in a way that nothing happening inside is visible to the outside."

The police also stated that the persons working on the first floor of this building did not maintain any connection with the persons on the other floors, and they do not know about it.

Stating that from the investigations conducted so far, it was only possible to investigate the computers and modern technological equipment that were on the first floor and present them to court today as case productions, the Police OIC mentioned that there is a large amount of computer equipment and modern technological equipment inside all seven floors of the complex.

The statements of the technician, cleaning staff, and security officers who were inside the building have been recorded by now regarding the incident, and they stated that they do not know anything happening inside this building.

Furthermore, it is revealed that there was a catering company to provide food for these Chinese nationals. The investigating officer mentioned that these suspects arrived at this building from areas around Colombo, such as Kollupitiya, and engaged in employment.

The Welikada Police OIC:

"15 luxury vehicles used to provide transport facilities for these foreign nationals are detained. Investigations are being conducted regarding that as well. During questioning from the owner of this apartment, it was stated that he does not know what happens inside the building. Investigations conducted by the officers of the Computer Crimes Investigation Division of the Criminal Investigation Department revealed that these suspects were maintaining connections with various countries at the time of arrest."

"Money was sent to those accounts from this building to more than five foreign countries. These activities are carried out as a computer network inside the apartment complex. The Welikada Police OIC informed the court, while showing a wrapper bearing the name of the institution to the court, that the activities of this apartment complex were operated by an illegal institution that spread to many countries by now."

The investigating officer informed the court that further investigations are being conducted to determine whether human trafficking occurred through this incident, whether an illegal money fraud was carried out via cyber means, and how they engaged in employment within Sri Lanka without visas.

The Welikada Police OIC mentioned that at a time when a USD 2.5 million fraud from the Treasury is taking place these days, investigations must be conducted regarding these scams carried out inside an apartment complex via cyber means by these foreign nationals in this manner.

The Welikada Police OIC also mentioned that public security could be breached through this incident, creating a major threat.

Furthermore, a request was made from the court to grant permission to obtain the necessary orders to provide information reports regarding this incident.

Lawyers appearing for the suspects in court stated that the suspects are kept in remand custody without a summary of evidence report.

Considering the facts presented, the Magistrate stated that since these Chinese nationals attempted to flee when officers went to investigate after obtaining search warrants, there is a possibility for these foreign nationals to evade court if bail is granted.

Furthermore, since officers stated that further investigations are to be conducted regarding the incident, the Magistrate ordered the suspects to be further remanded.

The suspects related to the incident were remanded again until the 22nd.