Chinese embassy closely following arrests of nationals in Sri Lanka for online fraud
- In Reports
- 06:05 PM, Oct 15, 2024
- Myind Staff
The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka stated on Tuesday that it is closely monitoring the recent arrests of several Chinese nationals involved in alleged online fraud. The embassy confirmed that the process for their repatriation is currently underway.
Sri Lankan police have reported the arrest of over 230 Chinese nationals, aged between 22 and 49, from various locations across the island in the last fortnight. These arrests were made due to accusations of overstaying their visit visas and participating in online scams conducted from Sri Lanka.
In its statement, the Chinese Embassy expressed concern over the situation, saying, “We are closely following the recent reports that Sri Lankan police arrested several foreign suspects of online fraud, including Chinese nationals.” The embassy noted that “due to Sri Lanka’s advantages in telecommunications infrastructure, geographical location, and friendly relations with China, as well as the public lack of awareness on online fraud, some electronic fraud criminal gangs have moved to Sri Lanka and continue to engage in fraud activities targeting Chinese citizens at home and abroad.”
The embassy also highlighted the Chinese government's commitment to combating these fraud activities, stating, “The Chinese government has taken note of this and promotes cooperation in the anti-online fraud law enforcement between the two countries.”
To bolster these efforts, the embassy reported that “in order to effectively crack down on telecom fraud and create a strong deterrent, the Ministry of Public Security of China sent a working group in September to jointly carry out a special operation with the Sri Lankan police. A large number of criminal suspects were arrested. The repatriation and other work are being steadily advanced,” the statement concluded.
Comments