Sri Lanka Police have arrested 221 foreign nationals — 192 Indians and 29 Nepalese — in four coordinated raids across the Southern Province on Monday, marking the largest single-day cybercrime bust this year.
In Galle, officers from the Galle Police Station took 110 Indian nationals into custody at two guesthouses along Galwadugoda and Sri Sumedha Mawatha on suspicion of offences under the Computer Crimes Act. The suspects, aged between 19 and 35, had 58 computers and 79 mobile phones seized during the raids.
A separate Galle Harbour Police operation in Magalle and near Sambodhi Junction added another 23 arrests — 19 Indians and four Nepalis aged between 21 and 47 — along with 10 computers and 32 mobile phones, Newswire reported.
In Hikkaduwa, Special Task Force officers attached to the Akmeemana Camp raided a lodging facility in Dodanduwa and arrested 55 foreign nationals — 35 Indians and 20 Nepalis aged between 20 and 48 — together with the 43-year-old guesthouse owner who allegedly provided them accommodation. Officers seized 25 computers, 119 mobile phones, Rs. 750,000 in cash, a car and a jeep.
A fourth operation in Midigama led to 33 arrests at a tourist hotel in the Pinwatta area. The group of 28 Indians and five Nepalis, aged 25 to 35, faced allegations including overstaying without valid visas, working while on tourist visas, possession of duty-free cigarettes and offences under the Computer Crimes Act.
The Criminal Investigation Department has launched a separate probe into the foreign cybercrime network, NewsFirst reported. The Department of Immigration and Emigration said foreigners arriving from the same countries as the arrested suspects will now face special screening at the airport.
The arrests follow a string of recent operations targeting foreign-run cyber-scam networks in Sri Lanka, including 54 foreign nationals arrested at a Hikkaduwa hotel, 60 foreigners arrested in a Kollupitiya raid, and 37 suspects deported by the BIA. Police have also rolled out special airport screening for foreigners from cybercrime hotspot countries.
Update — May 12 evening: The Galle Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday remanded nine of the suspects arrested by the Galle Harbour Police until May 19. The 55 suspects arrested in Dodanduwa within the Hikkaduwa Police Division were remanded separately until May 20. The remaining suspects produced by the Galle Police were released on personal bail by court order, Ada Derana reported.
