Scam groups shift from South-east Asia to Sri Lanka, over 1,000 held
Officials say networks forced out of Cambodia and Myanmar are moving operations to Sri Lanka, raising fears the island could become an online crime hub.
- Sri Lankan authorities have arrested over 1,000 foreign nationals for cybercrime this year, a significant increase from previous years.
- The rise is attributed to scam networks relocating from other Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia and Myanmar following crackdowns, drawn by Sri Lanka's relaxed visa rules and stable internet.
- The majority of the suspects arrested are from China, Vietnam, and India, and they are accused of running scams targeting victims across Asia.
- In response, Sri Lanka has intensified raids and deportations, and is now cooperating with China to combat the relocated criminal groups.
Sri Lanka has arrested a rising number of suspected foreign scammers, prompting concern among authorities that the island could quickly become a hub for online crime after strict crackdowns in trouble spots such as Cambodia and Myanmar.
Sri Lankan officials said some scam networks driven out of countries in Southeast Asia had set up new bases, increasingly moving operations to Sri Lanka, an attractive destination because of relaxed visa rules and stable high-speed internet.
Spokesman Fredrick Wootler said police had arrested more than 1,000 foreigners since the start of the year over alleged involvement in cybercrime, most of them from China, Vietnam and India. The figure is sharply higher than 430 for all of 2024 and fewer than that last year.
Last month, Sri Lankan customs officers intercepted nine Chinese nationals attempting to smuggle hundreds of used mobile phones and laptops, amid suspicion the goods would be used in large-scale fraud.
AFP reported that scam websites used by fraudsters to lure internet users into fake romantic relationships, cryptocurrency investments and gambling platforms are widespread across Southeast Asia.
The criminal groups behind these scam centres initially targeted mainly Chinese-speaking users, but have now expanded into multiple languages.
Some of those carrying out the scams do so willingly, while others are trafficked foreign nationals forced to work in the schemes.
As for networks operating in Sri Lanka, officials said they target victims across Asia, including in India, Vietnam and the Philippines, but concern is growing that Sri Lankans could also be next.
Authorities are also investigating whether foreign criminal groups were involved in the latest cyberattack on Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Finance, which resulted in losses of around US$2.5 million.
Agencies step up crackdown
The networks displaced from Myanmar and Cambodia, which Sri Lankan authorities have been targeting with stepped-up raids and deportations, have exploited 30-day tourist visas for nationals of more than 40 countries, including India and China, while people from other countries can apply for visas online with ease.
In Sri Lanka, the criminal groups have settled in rented properties ranging from luxury villas to office buildings.
Police have begun warning property owners not to rent villas and apartments to suspected scam groups, saying they could face prosecution for aiding a criminal offence.
The scope of the Sri Lankan authorities’ crackdown has become clearer in recent weeks, with police “receiving a large number of tip-off calls each day”.
Wootler told AFP that, in a single night this week, officers carried out “five raids” in the coastal districts of Galle and Matara, arresting 192 Indian suspects and 29 Nepalis.
A further 280 foreign suspects were arrested last week near Colombo, and 135 Chinese nationals were arrested in March at one scam centre.
As the number of cases has risen, immigration authorities have taken a larger role in the investigation.
China to cooperate in crackdown on scammers
China, which has stepped up cooperation with governments in the region in recent years to crack down on fraud networks, has acknowledged the geographical shift.
The Chinese embassy in Colombo said illegal activity in Sri Lanka had risen after law enforcement action in Cambodia, Myanmar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In a statement, the embassy said: “The Chinese government attaches great importance to this trend,” pledging to work closely with Sri Lankan law enforcement agencies.
The expansion of the criminal networks reflects a broader regional crisis.
A United Nations report released this year estimated that at least 300,000 people had been trafficked into scam centres in Southeast Asia.
Sri Lankan officials said they had not found foreign nationals trafficked into the country, but dozens of Sri Lankans had been rescued from scam centres abroad over the past year.
Wootler said authorities were doing everything possible to address the growing problem, deporting foreigners who overstay their visas and ensuring that those involved in online crime are “punished by the country’s courts”.
