Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Gampaha District MP Amila Prasad told Parliament that Sri Lanka is increasingly becoming a “safe haven” for cybercriminals in South Asia, raising concerns over the alleged misuse of the Port City project and the rise of organized cybercrime in the country.
The MP claimed that certain foreign nationals, particularly from China, are misusing business visas and fraudulent company registrations to establish bases for large-scale online financial scams rather than engaging in legitimate investments.
He also criticized the government’s oversight, specifically accusing the Digital Ministry of failing to properly monitor such activities. MP Prasad further alleged that there could be official involvement within certain government institutions enabling these illegal operations to continue. According to him, the situation poses a threat to national security and harms Sri Lanka’s international reputation, discouraging genuine foreign investment.
Earlier today, authorities arrested a group of foreign nationals accused of engaging in financial scams while residing in Sri Lanka in violation of visa regulations during separate raids conducted in Colombo and Matara.
In one operation, officers from the Kollupitiya Police Station arrested 74 foreign nationals including 41 men and 33 women during a raid carried out yesterday evening (06) at a housing complex on Uttarananda Mawatha in Kollupitiya.
Police stated that the suspects are Vietnamese nationals between the ages of 19 and 39, and investigations are ongoing.
In a separate raid, the Divisional Crime Detective Bureau in Matara arrested six foreign nationals, including one woman, at a hotel in the Talalla area of Gandara yesterday evening.
Police said the suspects, identified as Taiwanese and Chinese nationals aged between 25 and 40, were allegedly involved in financial fraud while remaining in the country without valid visas.
Authorities also stated that the suspects had been conducting business activities while staying on tourist visas and were found in possession of foreign cigarettes.
Meanwhile, Police previously stated that more than 600 foreign nationals have been arrested this year in connection with illegal activities.
Police Media Spokesperson F. U. Wootler said those arrested include individuals from China, India, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, and the Philippines.
According to ASP Wootler, the suspects were taken into custody for violating immigration and emigration laws as well as for involvement in cybercrimes. He added that the arrests were made in various parts of the country, where suspects were allegedly operating illegal activities from rented houses and buildings.
