The Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) Cyber Crimes Unit uncovered a major online financial scam targeting foreign nationals, leading to the arrest of 59 individuals, including two heads of the company.

The suspects were arrested in Colombo on Friday (8th). Police reported that around Rs. 300 million had been defrauded from foreign victims.

The operation began after the South Korean Embassy filed a complaint about a local company allegedly scamming a Korean national of nearly Rs. 300 million by promising business investments. Investigations revealed the scam was run from a luxury apartment complex on Havelock Road, where officers arrested 59 Sri Lankans, including 23 women.

The suspects, some of whom were multilingual, were reportedly hired to target investors under the guise of IT professionals. They have stated they were unaware of the scam, as they were hired in shifts without knowledge of what happened to the funds.

Following questioning, the director and a manager of the company were arrested, and it was found that the building had been rented for Rs. 9 million. Police discovered forged documents on computers that were used to attract investments.

The court ordered the director and manager to be remanded until the 12th, while others were released on bail of Rs. 1 million each.