Sri Lanka’s central anti-corruption unit has busted an organized group of foreign nationals allegedly preparing to launch a large-scale cybercrime operation from a hotel in Waskaduwa, Kalutara North, police said. A special raid conducted by the Walana Central Anti-Corruption Strike Force led to the arrest of 14 suspects, including men and women from China and Malaysia, who were found to be residing in the country illegally.
Acting on intelligence regarding suspicious activities at the hotel, the specialized police unit executed a search warrant. Inside, they found the suspects and immediate evidence of an ambitious setup. Investigations revealed that the group was in the midst of fundamental construction work to establish a robust network of equipment, converting a large hotel area into a "massive operations center" designed for the execution of computer-related crimes. Multiple monitors, partially assembled computer terminals, extensive network cabling, and numerous data-processing servers were discovered and seized.
The arrested suspects include ten Chinese men and one Malaysian man, alongside two Chinese women and one Malaysian woman. Police confirmed that all 14 individuals lacked valid visas to reside in Sri Lanka, categorizing their presence as entirely illegal.
