The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has cracked down on a large-scale online financial fraud network operating from Negombo, targeting multiple foreign countries and local residents.
The operation led to the arrest of 33 suspects, including several foreign nationals, involved in the illicit scheme.
The investigation was triggered by a complaint filed on June 13 by a woman who reported being lured into a WhatsApp group promising cash payments for liking and commenting on TikTok videos. Initially receiving payments as promised, she later faced demands to deposit substantial sums into a bank account to continue receiving payments, totaling Rs. 5.4 million.
Further probing into the bank accounts involved led authorities to arrest a father and son duo in Peradeniya, who confessed to being manipulated by the fraudsters into opening accounts.
A pizza delivery traced to a luxury house in Negombo provided crucial evidence, prompting a CID raid where 13 suspects, including two women, were apprehended. Authorities seized 57 mobile phones, 13 computers, and 3 laptops used in the fraudulent activities.
Subsequent leads from the first raid led CID officials to another luxury residence in Negombo, where 19 additional suspects, including nationals from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia, were arrested. Law enforcement seized 52 mobile phones and 33 computers from this location.
The arrested suspects disclosed that their operations extended beyond Sri Lanka, with bases in Dubai and Afghanistan, targeting both local and foreign victims.
Further investigations are underway.
