Colombo: Sri Lankan authorities have arrested three Indian nationals in the eastern port town of Trincomalee for allegedly overstaying without valid visas, police said on Friday.
The suspects, aged between 49 and 50, were taken into custody on Thursday during a raid at a lodging facility in the Murigapuri area of Trincomalee. According to police, the individuals were unable to produce valid travel or residency documents at the time of the arrest.
In a separate operation, police also arrested 14 foreign nationals, including citizens of China and Malaysia, in the coastal town of Kalutara in the country’s Western Province on similar immigration-related charges.
Sri Lankan police have intensified surveillance and enforcement measures amid growing concerns over foreigners allegedly misusing tourist visas to conduct organised cybercrime activities. Authorities have appealed to the public to share information regarding suspicious activities involving foreign nationals.
The latest arrests come as part of a wider crackdown on illegal cybercrime networks operating in the island nation. In recent weeks, law enforcement agencies have detained scores of foreign nationals, most of them Chinese and Indian citizens, in connection with alleged online fraud and cyber-related offences.
Earlier this week, a major operation carried out in the southern tourist belt led to the arrest of 198 foreign nationals, including 173 Indians and 25 Nepalese, from the resort areas of Galle, Hikkaduwa, and Midigama.
Officials believe many of these groups are linked to transnational syndicates that use digital communication platforms to target victims overseas through online scams and fraudulent schemes.
