• Arrest followed protest outside SLBFE

An individual named Nishantha Priyadarshana, alias “Dubai Sudda”, who recently made several revelations about the alleged sex trafficking of Sri Lankan females in Oman taking place with the support of the Sri Lankan official at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Oman, was taken into custody by the investigation unit of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) yesterday (28) after he led a protest in front of SLBFE, before being released on bail by the Kaduwela Magistrate's Court.

A group of persons who had allegedly travelled to Russia for employment through a foreign employment agency in the Nugegoda area, and were defrauded by the said agency, staged a protest outside the SLBFE premises yesterday, demanding that the authorities take appropriate action against fraudulent foreign employment agencies and registered agencies engaged in various instances of financial fraud. 

Priyadarshana, who was leading the said protest, told the media: “This agency in Nugegoda has taken large sums of money ranging from Rs. 500,000 to Rs. 1 million from various persons, particularly from youths and had sent them for employment to Russia. Those who left for Russia through this agency had been told that they would be sent on a two-year visa, but were subsequently informed by the relevant Russian company that they could work there for only one year. That company had also said that it signed an agreement with this agency for only one year. The agency has obtained large sums of money from these persons. In the end, those who left for Russia have had to return to Sri Lanka by mortgaging their houses and properties and obtaining loans.”

Claiming that no politician is interested in taking action against such foreign employment agencies, he said that politicians are instead promising the people employment opportunities in various countries in order to establish their voter base, and are allowing such agencies to carry out their fraudulent activities. He also displayed a list of names to the media, of persons who have allegedly been subjected to various forms of fraud by agencies. He queried why such agencies, despite being registered under the SLBFE, are not being subject to legal action by the relevant authorities. 

“It has become the hope for many youths to leave the country for foreign employment, as they cannot survive in Sri Lanka in the current situation. What happens in the end is that both men and women going abroad seeking employment opportunities become helpless. That is why we demand that a proper system be formulated to provide Sri Lankans with foreign employment opportunities. 

“If such a system cannot be established, the authorities should refrain from sending people overseas. As of now, only 400 fake agencies have been shut down, but there are more such agencies. For instance, this agency in Nugegoda is 40-years-old. It means that it has been defrauding people for all these 40 years,” he said.

Speaking further, he said that yesterday's protest was organised to make the people aware of such agencies and to prevent someone else from being defrauded. 

“If this kind of an incident happened in another country, the relevant Minister and officials would have resigned. We have been speaking up against this issue for a long time, but the authorities shut my mouth and did not even call me for a meeting. Whenever a Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment is appointed, all these agencies give them some money. Then, they (the Ministers) do not investigate anything about such agencies. Is that the country’s law? That is why the people have no faith in any of these authorities,” he said and added that the relevant authorities, including the SLBFE should immediately work on formulating a proper mechanism to direct the people for foreign employment.  

“The agency in question should return the money that they have taken from these youths. If not, we are ready to take legal action against them at any time. Also, the authorities have not yet solved the issues of Sri Lankan job seekers in Oman. A protest is currently going on in front of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Oman. An embassy is established to help the people, but they undermine the issue of Sri Lankan women who have gone to Oman looking for jobs. There are about 60 to 70 women protesting there, but no programme has been prepared to bring them to Sri Lanka. The Labour and Foreign Employment Minister (Manusha Nanayakkara) said in Parliament that the Government will bring these people back, but no programme has been prepared yet," added Priyadarshana.

Meanwhile, the SLBFE’s investigation unit had taken Priyadarshana into its custody last evening over allegations of directing people for foreign employment without a proper licence. He had then been produced before the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court, after which he had been released on bail.

Priyadarshana came to public attention for revealing details about alleged human trafficking activities in the Middle East, and recently made several revelations about the alleged sex trafficking of Sri Lankan females in Oman taking place with the support of a Sri Lankan official at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Oman named E. Kushan, the latter who was recently arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). 

The Human Trafficking, Smuggling, and Maritime Crime Investigation Division of the CID had also launched a special investigation into the details revealed by Priyadarshana regarding human trafficking activities taking place in Middle Eastern countries involving Sri Lankan migrant workers.