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Crackdown in Southeast Asia pushes scam networks to Sri Lanka
Police have arrested more than 1,000 foreigners this year, as scam networks displaced from Southeast Asia expand into Sri Lanka.
- Since the start of 2026, police have arrested more than 1,000 foreigners for alleged cybercrime, Assistant Superintendent Fredrick Wootler said, marking a sharp increase from 430 arrests throughout 2024.
- Criminal syndicates displaced from Cambodia and Myanmar are shifting operations to Sri Lanka, exploiting the island's 30-day tourist visas and reliable internet infrastructure.
- In recent weeks, police "carried out five raids" in the coastal districts of Galle and Matara, netting 192 Indian suspects and 29 Nepalis, following 280 arrests near Colombo last week.
- Immigration authorities are now directly supporting police investigations to address the surge, with Wootler stating the government is deporting visa overstayers and ensuring online criminals are "punished by our courts."
- A United Nations report estimates at least 300,000 people have been trafficked into similar compounds across Southeast Asia, while Beijing's embassy in Colombo pledged closer cooperation with local law enforcement.
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14 Articles
Malay MailReposted by 
AlKhaleej Today
AlKhaleej TodaySri Lanka sees surge in foreign scam arrests as cyber gangs shift from Cambodia and Myanmar
COLOMBO, May 18 — A surge in arrests of suspected foreign scammers in Sri Lanka has authorities concerned that the island is fast becoming a hub for online crime, following sweeping crackdowns in hotspots Cambodia and Myanmar.Officials say some scam networks forced out of countries in South-east Asia have simply shifted to new bases, increasingly moving operations to Sri Lanka — an attractive destination due to a relaxed visa regime and reliable…
·Selangor, Malaysia
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Is Sri Lanka on its way to becoming a new "hub" of international cybercrime? Heavyly repressed in Cambodia or Burma, Internet crooks seem to have redeployed to the island of South Asia, where arrests are increasing. ...
·Brussels, Belgium
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources14
Leaning Left1Leaning Right4Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
C 50%
R 40%
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