Sunday Jun 07, 2026
Sunday Jun 07, 2026
Saturday, 6 June 2026 00:42 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
In the wake of the recent arrest and deportation of several Chinese nationals conducting illegal cyber-related activities in the country, China yesterday said it was deepening law enforcement and security cooperation with Sri Lanka to combat cross-border online gambling, telecom fraud and related organised crime.
In a statement, the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka said authorities from both countries had intensified joint efforts this year in response to the growing presence of individuals linked to online gambling, telecom fraud and associated criminal networks. The Embassy said Sri Lankan law enforcement agencies had carried out multiple investigations and crackdown operations, dismantled several gambling and fraud centres, and arrested a large number of suspects, including foreign nationals.
The Embassy said cross-border online gambling and telecom fraud have become a major form of transnational organised crime, with criminal networks increasingly linked to human trafficking and operating across multiple jurisdictions. It warned that organised crime groups displaced from crackdowns in parts of East and Southeast Asia were seeking to expand into more vulnerable countries, including Sri Lanka.
China said it maintains a zero-tolerance policy on cross-border gambling and has criminalised such activities under its laws. The Embassy noted that gambling and telecom fraud are often linked to offences such as money laundering, kidnapping, human trafficking, illegal detention and unlawful border crossings.
It said China and Sri Lanka had intensified law enforcement cooperation this year in response to the growing presence of individuals linked to online gambling and fraud operations in the country. Sri Lankan authorities have conducted a series of investigations, dismantled several gambling and fraud centres, and arrested suspects from multiple countries, including Chinese nationals who have subsequently been repatriated.
The Embassy warned that failure to curb illegal gambling, online fraud and related criminal activities could undermine Sri Lanka’s international reputation, public security and social stability. It said both countries would continue to strengthen cooperation to dismantle criminal and financial networks behind such operations and prevent Sri Lanka from becoming a regional hub for organised cyber-enabled crime.
