16 Chinese nationals arrested over pyramid scam

2026-02-24 - 04:46

16 Chinese nationals have been arrested by the Cinnamon Gardens Police for allegedly operating an illegal online pyramid scheme while remaining in Sri Lanka, violating visa conditions. During the raid, police seized 23 laptops, 11 mobile phones, 07 routers, 09 voice-translation devices. According to police, the group had temporarily moved into a house on Jawatte Road in Colombo 05, a few days before the arrest. Acting on a tip-off received by the Cinnamon Gardens Police OIC – Chief Inspector Sujeewa Kumara, a team led by Inspector Wickramaratne carried out the operation. During the raid, officers also discovered a stock of duty-free cigarettes that the suspects had brought into the country. Further searches of the premises led to the recovery of laptops and other equipment allegedly used in the operation. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the suspects had been operating from Sri Lanka while connecting with foreign countries and allegedly deceiving individuals through a pyramid-based financial fraud scheme. The suspects, aged between 23 and 40, are scheduled to be produced before courts.