Forty-nine Chinese and Malaysian nationals have been remanded until May 15 by the Fort Magistrate’s Court after being taken into custody by the Criminal Investigation Department during a raid in the Colpetty area of Colombo.
Police said the group had entered Sri Lanka from Cambodia on tourist visas but were found to be residing in the country without proper authorisation. The raid was carried out by CID officers at a Colpetty premises.
The case is distinct from previous foreign national enforcement actions linked to organised cybercrime syndicates, where large groups were found operating scam call centres. Authorities are treating this as a visa-abuse matter rather than an organised criminal enterprise — though investigations into the exact circumstances are continuing.
The arrests are part of a broader pattern of enforcement against unlawful foreign stays in Sri Lanka. In early May, authorities arrested more than 600 foreign nationals in connection with illegal activities in separate operations across the island. A group of 50 foreign nationals was also arrested in Negombo earlier this year over business visa violations.
