Over 230 Chinese men, accused of targeting international banks in online scams, have been arrested by the Sri Lankan police with the help from security officials sent by Beijing, said the foreign minister.
According to Vijitha Herath, over the past week police raids seized 250 computers and 500 mobile phones that were used in the alleged scams, with investigations into how much had been stolen still underway.
"They have mainly targeted foreign banks and financial institutions," Herath said of the gangs targeted in the raids.
As per the Chinese embassy in Colombo, a "working group" of security officials have been sent to carry out "special operations" with Sri Lankan police.
"A large number of criminal suspects were arrested," the embassy said in a statement, adding that "repatriation and other work" were ongoing.
On Saturday, the biggest raid took place and police arrested 126 Chinese men. Police also arrested two persons from Vietnam and one each from Thailand and the Philippines.
Sri Lanka has a strong telecommunication infrastructure and was the first in South Asia to unroll a 5G network, in April 2019, three years before the country's financial meltdown.
The embassy statement said China's crackdown on cybercriminals at home may have pushed some to seek criminal opportunities abroad.
"China stands ready to further strengthen law enforcement cooperation with Sri Lanka", the statement said.
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