In a significant breakthrough, a joint operation conducted by the Colombo South Division Criminal Investigation Unit and the Borella Police led to the arrest of a Chinese national on the 26th of this month. This individual is suspected to be a key player in an international pyramid scheme masquerading as an investor in Colombo's port city.
Authorities suspect that this elaborate scheme involved more than 4,000 Chinese nationals. The operation is believed to have siphoned significant sums of money from victims hailing from Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, and several other countries. The fraudulent operation promised substantial benefits upon depositing sums ranging from $100 to $200, with the catch being that the promised benefits were never delivered after a $10,000 deposit.
According to a senior police officer, the arrested Chinese national had hoodwinked investors by posing as an investor himself in Colombo's port city. He managed to secure eight properties across seven high-rise complexes in Colombo, where he allegedly detained Chinese nationals while perpetrating this racket. During a recent raid, it was discovered that 27 Chinese nationals had fled just before law enforcement arrived, leading to suspicions that over 300 individuals may have been under his control.
Curiously, on the 19th of this month, the Chinese suspect had filed a complaint with the Borella police, alleging that he had been the victim of a robbery. He claimed that intruders had entered his residence, tied him up, and made off with seven laptops and property valued at around 4 crore rupees (approximately $540,000 USD). Senior Superintendent of Police Hasanta Marapana, overseeing the Nolao Division, authorized the Colombo South Division Criminal Investigation Unit to investigate the case.
The investigation took a surprising turn when law enforcement found the stolen van used in the robbery near Diyatha Uyana. Subsequent questioning of the van's driver revealed that the Chinese suspect himself had orchestrated the theft and had paid the driver a sum of 15 lakhs. This led to the arrest of another Chinese national in a nearby apartment, where authorities seized 30,000 illegal cigarettes, 23 mobile phones, and 7 laptops.
The police's ongoing investigation has uncovered a vast network of Chinese nationals participating in this racket. They have also revealed that the ill-gotten gains from this scheme were funneled back to China through the Undial method, which involves transferring money via mobile phones. Interestingly, the scheme appears to have involved predominantly Chinese nationals, as Sri Lankans' participation seems limited. Law enforcement stresses the importance of public cooperation in reporting such activities to ensure that smuggling operations can be effectively curtailed.
The raiding officers raised concerns that with the arrest of the main Chinese suspect, technology may have been employed to tip off other Chinese nationals involved in the scheme, as they mysteriously vacated their residences during the raids. The officer emphasized the critical role of computer data in connecting the dots of this smuggling operation and suggested that some individuals involved may have fled the country and remain at large, making it challenging to issue flight bans without concrete information. The investigation continues as authorities strive to dismantle this intricate pyramid scheme.
