Colombo Port City is in talks with the Finance Ministry, the Police and the Department of Immigration and Emigration (DIE) over investigations into whether visas routed through Port City-licensed companies have been misused by arrested foreigners suspected of cybercrime, the Sunday Times reported.
During recent court proceedings, lawyers for several arrested foreigners said their clients had been working at companies licensed as “Authorised Persons” under the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act. At a Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court bail hearing on May 6, counsel for 37 Chinese nationals said they held visas via a Port City-registered company and were operating from a Thalangama North, Koswatte address because no offices had yet been built within the Port City itself.
Port City Director-General Revan Wickramasuriya told the newspaper that Police had formally requested information from his office on Thursday regarding “certain authorised persons,” and the data had been duly shared. Additional details followed the next day. “We have reiterated our position to the Sri Lanka Police of providing all information formally requested in a timely manner and continuing to extend our cooperation,” Wickramasuriya said.
Internal reviews are now under way to determine whether any entities operating within the Port City framework may be implicated, with case-by-case assessments of the authorised persons named by Police, he added. Section 26(2) of the Port City Economic Commission Act requires a licence from the Commission for any person intending to engage in business in or from the Port City Area of Authority.
Wickramasuriya said all applicants for authorised-person registration undergo a risk-based due-diligence and know-your-customer screen designed to test their integrity, legality and suitability.
The Port City inquiry intersects with a wider wave of foreign-nationals cybercrime arrests in recent weeks, including 54 foreigners detained in Hikkaduwa on May 11, 198 foreigners rounded up in Galle, Hikkaduwa and Midigama on May 12, and 37 foreign cybercrime suspects deported on May 5. Immigration has tightened arrival checks for high-risk countries. The Port City Economic Commission has separately granted strategic business status to six firms on May 7.
