23 June 2020 04:17 pm
Three Nigerian nationals and a female Ugandan national have been arrested by the STF in connection with an international credit card fraud operated through social media.
The STF said that the suspects were arrested at a hotel in Mount Lavinia based on a tip-off received by the intelligence unit.
Accordingly, the STF has seized 15 credit cards in possession of the four suspects.
It was revealed that the three Nigerians had been in the country since 2017 and that they had been staying in the country illegally by violating the visa period. The suspects had been arrested over the visa violation on a prior occasion and were released on bail.
According to the investigations, the bank accounts used by the suspects for the transactions were registered under the names of Sri Lankans. Police said that the fraud was conducted with the assistance of the Sri Lankan nationals.
The suspects were handed over to the CID for further investigations.
STF team led by CI Nadeeka Silva carried out the raid on the instructions of STF Commandant. (Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya)