Colombo: At least 60 Indian nationals have been arrested by Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Sri Lankan police believe the Indians are part of a group engaged in online financial scams.
They were arrested from the Colombo suburbs of Madiwela and Battaramulla, and the western coastal town of Negombo.
According to police spokesperson SSP Nihal Thalduwa, the CID conducted simultaneous raids in different parts of the island nation, seizing 135 mobile phones and 57 laptops, besides taking dozens of people – locals and foreigners — into custody.
The raids were triggered by a complaint from a victim who was lured into a WhatsApp group promising cash for social media interactions.
Police investigation revealed that victims were coerced into making deposits after initial payments.
A father-son duo admitted to helping the fraudsters, Lankan newspaper Daily Mirror reported.
International links in Dubai and Afghanistan have been revealed. They are suspected to have been involved in financial fraud, illegal betting and various activities of gambling.