Two individuals, including a retired Army Colonel, have been arrested in connection with a large-scale foreign employment scam that defrauded nearly Rs. 20 million from job seekers by promising employment in several European countries.
According to the Special Investigation Unit of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), the suspects operated under a registered agency named FC International in Negombo, claiming to secure jobs in the hospitality sector in Hungary, the Netherlands, and Finland.
Investigations revealed that although the agency had obtained approval for job placements in Hungary, no official job orders existed for hospitality positions. The SLBFE said it had received around 20 complaints from victims across the country who had paid large sums but were never provided the promised employment.
The arrests were made during operations in Mawanella and Imbulgoda, leading to the detention of a Mawanella resident with long-standing experience in the foreign employment sector and a retired Army Colonel from Kadawatha.
Meanwhile, the main suspects—including the owner of FC International, her husband, and the agency’s manager—have reportedly gone into hiding. A court has imposed a travel ban on them as efforts continue to apprehend the fugitives.
The arrested suspects were produced before the Negombo Magistrate’s Court and remanded until October 10. The SLBFE has also suspended the agency’s operating licence pending further investigations.
