In response to the surge in online financial fraud cases involving foreign citizens, including Chinese nationals, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Sri Lanka has sought investigative support from China's Special Criminal Investigation Unit.
Recently, Sri Lankan police have arrested several Chinese citizens suspected of online financial fraud across various regions of the island. However, the investigation has been challenging for the local authorities as the data on the suspects' laptops and mobile phones are in Chinese.
To address this issue, with the intervention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Sri Lankan police sought assistance from China's Special Criminal Investigation Unit, which has arranged to provide the necessary support for the investigation. The Sri Lankan police stated that 10 officers from the Chinese Special Criminal Investigation Unit have arrived in Sri Lanka and are currently collaborating with the CID.
They mentioned that an agreement was reached this Monday between the two parties, attended by Deputy Director of CID Rohan Premaratne and Director of CID Mangala Dehideniya.
In June 2024, the CID arrested a group of Chinese and Indian nationals who were residing in Sri Lanka and committing financial fraud through online platforms. A total of 137 suspects were arrested, including 31 Chinese nationals. During the operation, the police also seized 158 mobile phones, 16 laptops, and 60 desktop computers from some of the suspects.
