Foreign cybercrime suspects to face Sri Lankan law, no immediate deportation: Police

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya

Colombo, April 4 (Daily Mirror) - Amid a rising number of foreign nationals allegedly involved in cybercrime and online scams in Sri Lanka, police said that offenders will be prosecuted under the country’s Cybercrimes Act and will not be immediately deported or allowed to leave the country.

Police Spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler told the Daily Mirror that any foreign national found to be involved in cybercrimes in Sri Lanka will face legal action.

In the latest development, 152 foreign nationals, including a large number of Chinese nationals, were arrested during a raid at a leading hotel in Chilaw. Authorities are currently investigating a significant number of computers discovered at the premises.

Police said the hotel had been leased to Chinese nationals approximately two months ago. Reports indicate that a large number of computers were being used from the location, raising suspicions among local residents.

According to authorities, those arrested include over 130 Chinese nationals, 13 Bangladeshi nationals, and several Vietnamese nationals.

A tense situation reportedly arose during the raid, with several suspects attempting to flee. Two Chinese nationals sustained injuries while trying to escape and were later admitted to the Chilaw District General Hospital for treatment.

Police also seized a substantial quantity of electronic equipment believed to have been used in fraudulent activities. Items recovered include 143 laptop computers, 120 desktop computers, and 370 mobile phones.

The seized equipment has been handed over to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers for forensic examination, while further investigations are ongoing.

The Police Spokesman said that once the forensic examination is completed, any foreign national found to be involved in cybercrime violations will be dealt with in accordance with the law.

If they are found to have violated immigration laws, they will be deported to their respective countries, the spokesman said.

In 2026, Sri Lankan authorities intensified their crackdown on foreign nationals involved in visa violations and transnational online scam operations, resulting in several high-profile raids and mass arrests across the country.

The Chilaw raid follows similar operations carried out in the Anuradhapura and Mihintale areas earlier.

On March 17, 2026, authorities arrested 134 foreign nationals during a joint operation conducted by Sri Lanka Army intelligence units and the Department of Immigration and Emigration. The group included 126 Chinese nationals, four individuals from Myanmar, and four from Taiwan.

The suspects were initially believed to be linked to a large-scale organized online scam network operating from multiple guest houses in the Anuradhapura and Mihintale areas. The raids were launched following a tip-off received by military intelligence, leading to coordinated operations at five locations.

During the raids, officials seized a considerable quantity of equipment, including laptops, mobile phones, and other technical devices suspected to have been used in the operation.

However, ASP Wootler later clarified that the arrests were made on the basis of visa overstays. He noted that if evidence of involvement in online scams had been established, the CID would have initiated further investigations.

According to police, current investigations have not uncovered links to online scam activities, but only violations related to visa overstays.

Subsequently, 126 Chinese nationals, including six women, were deported to China on March 29 via Bandaranaike International Airport on a special flight.

Officials from the Department of Immigration and Emigration accompanied the group, with assistance from the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka in facilitating the deportation process.

Earlier, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala said that the Chinese government had requested the removal of the arrested nationals. The deportations were carried out with the approval of the Department of Immigration and Emigration.