Sri Lankan police arrested 37 Chinese nationals in a suburb of Colombo on 2 May after raiding a suspected scam centre, seizing 35 tablet computers, 147 mobile phones and 100 SIM cards.
KEY FACTS
- Detentions 36 men and one woman were held in Talangama.
- Property search Officers said some of those inside were working illegally and had overstayed tourist visas.
- Seizures Police took away 35 tablets, 147 phones and 100 SIM cards.
- Earlier raids Authorities recently detained 152 foreign nationals in another suspected operation, and 135 Chinese citizens in March.
The arrests followed a tip-off that led officers to the property in Talangama. The people detained were all Chinese citizens, according to police.
Authorities have stepped up action against suspected scam operations in recent months. In March, immigration officers arrested 135 Chinese men and women in connection with another suspected centre, and those individuals have since been deported. A month ago, police also detained 152 foreign nationals, most of them Chinese, in a separate raid in the north west of the country.
The suspected activity is believed to involve romance-baiting scams, in which victims are contacted through wrong-number texts, dating apps or social media messages before being pushed toward fake cryptocurrency investment sites. A United Nations report and an Interpol disclosure have warned that some of the people doing the scamming are themselves victims of trafficking and coercion.
The report said scam compounds have shifted toward countries with flexible tourist visa policies and strong digital infrastructure. Sri Lanka has attracted more foreign visitors after relaxing visa requirements, and authorities say that has also been accompanied by more suspected scam centres in residential areas.
The FBI said Americans lost $5.8 billion to cryptocurrency investment scams in 2024, with more than 41,000 complaints. The figures underline how such operations can reach victims far beyond the country where the call centre is based.
WHY IT MATTERS
The case shows how suspected scam centres can operate inside residential areas while targeting victims overseas. It also highlights the challenge for police, who are trying to disrupt networks that may involve both criminal operators and people forced to work against their will.