Sri Lanka logs 1,000 foreigners arrested over illegal gambling
Sri Lankan authorities have arrested more than 1,000 foreign nationals this year as the country faces growing concern that international scam networks are shifting operations to the island following crackdowns elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
Police and immigration officials say organised cybercrime groups forced out of countries such as Cambodia and Myanmar are increasingly setting up bases in Sri Lanka, drawn by relaxed visa rules, reliable internet infrastructure and a growing tourism sector that allows foreign arrivals to blend in more easily.
Number doubled within a year
The rise in arrests has alarmed authorities. Officials said the number of foreigners detained over alleged involvement in online scams has already more than doubled the total recorded in all of 2024. Most of those arrested this year were from China, India and Vietnam.
Speaking at the inaugural Global Conference on Public Communication, organised by the International Police (INTERPOL), Sri Lankan police spokesman Fredrick Wootler said investigators were uncovering more scam operations each week, with public tip-offs also increasing significantly in recent months.
The suspected networks are believed to be running a range of online fraud schemes, including fake cryptocurrency investments, romance scams and illegal gambling operations targeting victims across Asia. While many of the scams are aimed at people outside Sri Lanka, officials fear local residents could eventually become targets too.
Warning against landlords, owners
Authorities say some groups are operating from rented villas, apartments and office buildings in coastal tourist areas and around the capital Colombo. Police have now begun warning landlords against renting properties to suspicious foreign groups, saying they could face legal consequences if found to be knowingly supporting criminal activity.
The scale of the operations became clearer this week after police carried out a series of coordinated raids in the southern districts of Galle and Matara. Officers arrested 192 Indian nationals and 29 Nepali suspects in a single overnight operation.
That followed another major crackdown near Colombo last week, where 280 foreign suspects were detained. Earlier this year, authorities also arrested 135 Chinese nationals linked to an alleged scam centre.
Sri Lankan customs officers recently stopped nine Chinese nationals who were allegedly trying to bring hundreds of used mobile phones and laptops into the country. Authorities believe the devices may have been intended for organised online scam operations. Investigators are also looking into possible links between foreign cybercrime networks and the recent cyberattack on Sri Lanka’s Finance Ministry, an incident that reportedly led to losses of about $2.5 million.
There is a pan-Asia trend where organised scam networks have expanded rapidly in recent years. Many of these groups operate sophisticated fraud schemes through social media, messaging apps and fake investment platforms, targeting victims across multiple countries.
According to a recent report by the United Nations, at least 300,000 people are believed to have been trafficked into scam centres across the region. Some are forced to work in online fraud schemes under threats and violence, while others join voluntarily.
Sri Lankan authorities insist they are stepping up monitoring, raids and deportations to prevent the country from becoming a major centre for online fraud. But with the number of cases continuing to rise, officials admit the challenge is growing quickly.
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