News
Chinese online scam suspects may be part of global crime ring
View(s):By Thusitha Kumara De Silva and Senuka Jayakody
Dozens of Chinese online fraud suspects nabbed in Aluthgama may be linked to Chinese internet and telecom fraudsters operating across the world scamming people using the internet, social media, and smartphones, the police say.
On April 1, police in Sri Lanka arrested 39 Chinese for alleged cybercrime in a villa at Kaluwamodara in Aluthgama. They had in their possession 40 laptops, 150 phones, an unlicensed drone camera, 250 to 300 SIM cards and 19 wooden tables.
Their laptops and mobile phones have Chinese scripts, making police investigations far more complex.
Tables and electronic devices had been placed to host seminars for potential victims and they also had Rs 718,000 and 60 other foreign currency notes. The police seized 4,000 illegally-imported cigarettes.
Among the 39 arrested were five women and a four-year-old child.
Some of them were produced before the Kalutara Magistrate’s Courts for alleged cybercrime and were remanded until April 6.
On April 3, Chinese Embassy officials made a statement to the police and secured the release of 14 suspects.
Only 25 of the Chinese were produced in court on April 6 and remanded until April 12.
The Police Spokesman, Nihal Thalduwa said the suspects could be linked to international online fraud involving the Chinese. “It has not been revealed exactly yet, but the suspects had many electronic appliances, so we have a suspicion.’’
The Senior Superintendent (SSP) said the electronic devices would be handed to the computer crimes division.
The police objected to bail considering the possible risk of the database being wiped out by the suspects.
Sources suggest that a complaint had been filed with the Sri Lankan Police through the Chinese Embassy. Two Chinese officials had shown the location to the Aluthgama Police, who had then raided the site. One Chinese suspect had attempted to scale a wall and escape but was arrested.
The suspects had told police that they had been told they were working for a company in Aluthgama. They had denied criminal activity.
Their stay in Sri Lanka had been legal, as they had got work visas.
They had rented the villa for a year from the owner, but were arrested two to three months into their stay.
Sources at the villa said there was a wage dispute involving the employees of the Chinese group. The employees had sent text messages to their families in China. The families then alerted the Chinese police and the Chinese Embassy filed a complaint with the Sri Lankan Police.
The Chinese had ordered food online and had been speaking with the villa staff in ‘Chinglish’. They had also occasionally used three-wheelers, made available by the staff of the villa to go to supermarkets in town, only three to four kilometres away.
Earlier in the same week, on Tuesday, police in Nepal arrested nine Chinese for alleged online fraud. A victim had lost Rs. 4.7 million. The Chinese would send messages via social media with an offer to invest in an online business promising 30% net profit.
On a previous occasion in Sri Lanka, five Chinese were arrested for running a gambling operation in Bambalapitiya, and then more than 100 were arrested in Colombo for online currency fraud.
Chinese criminal syndicates are notorious for scamming people across the world, milking billions of dollars. They operate from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Fiji, the Philippines, Spain, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Africa, Paraguay, and numerous other locations, as well as from China itself.
In the cybercrime landscape, Chinese (among others) are involved in online extortion, stealing personal identifying information, credit card fraud, romance fraud (fake online lovers), lotteries, call centre scams, real estate investment scams, posing as tech support, global-scale money laundering, hacking of social media, compromising business email, ‘investment’ scams, ransomware, phishing emails, malware, and multiple other ruses. Chinese themselves become victims.
In 2019 October, the Philippines deported 270 Chinese, including fugitives, gambling den workers, illegals and overstayers. In October 2020, the Philippines Bureau of Immigration announced the deportation of 2,736 Chinese, and politicians said the Chinese were bribing immigration officials to get visas and abusing the visa-on-arrival facility for longer stays for criminal activity.
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