Sri Lanka, Interpol team up to tackle Chinese scam network

Colombo, Oct .28 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka has teamed with the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) to curb scamming activities involving Chinese nationals who arrive here mostly on tourist visas and deport them back for legal action in terms of the Chinese law, a Minister said yesterday.

China has been keen to enhance law enforcement against its nationals involved in cross-border gambling and fraud.

During the latest bilateral discussions between Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and Chinese President Xi Jinping, attention was paid in this regard.

The two sides should enhance law enforcement and security cooperation and resolutely combat crimes such as cross-border gambling and fraud, a media communiqué from the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry said after the meeting.

Asked about the matter, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala said that the Sri Lankan law enforcement authorities are in touch with Interpol in curbing such crimes. He said a team of Interpol representatives who were in Sri Lanka recently for a summit discussed collaborative efforts in netting such Chinese nationals involved in cross-border crimes such as gambling and fraud.

“China is cooperative. These scammers swindle money from China. As a result, they are nabbed and deported for legal action over there,” he said.

Previously, he said 80 such persons were arrested and handed over to the Chinese law enforcement authorities for action.

“I recently attended a public security summit in China. This was a key topic discussed on that occasion,” he said.

Asked about other foreign nationals involved in unlawful activities while arriving here under the tourist visa category, he said more than 200 such persons had been arrested and deported for committing offences under the immigration law.