The Police stated that eliminating various scams committed by foreigners in Sri Lanka is not something that the relevant institutions, including the Police, alone can handle, emphasising that it is therefore important that the public, particularly those renting out properties, be vigilant and guard against such scammers.

As a result of investigations carried out by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), several foreign nationals suspected of committing various types of scams through online platforms while staying in Sri Lanka have been arrested in the past few months.

When queried by The Daily Morning regarding the possibility of preparing a long-term programme aimed at eliminating such scams, the Police Media Spokesperson and Deputy Inspector General of Police Nihal Thalduwa said that formulating such a programme is not an easy task. Noting that scams carried out by foreign nationals are prevalent in all parts of the world, he said that it is not practical to eliminate such incidents. 

“This is not something that the Police or the CID alone can tackle. The public must be vigilant. For example, when renting out a house or property, owners should pay attention to how it is being used by the renters. Despite regular arrests made by the Police and the CID, which are often reported about in the media, people still rent their properties when they are promised high prices without asking any questions about the renter's intentions,” he explained.

During the past few months, the CID arrested a large number of foreign nationals including Indian and Chinese nationals following raids at multiple locations. They also seized mobile phones, laptops, desktop computers, and many other equipment from the suspects during these operations. The arrested suspects are usually charged under multiple legal provisions in the Computer Crime Act, No. 7 of 2007, the Immigrants and Emigrants (Amendment) Act, No. 31 of 2006, and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, No. 5 of 2006.