Sri Lanka deports dozens of Chinese cybercrime suspects

AP image
Colombo: Sri Lanka deported 85 Chinese nationals on Friday, months after they were detained on suspicion of carrying out cybercrimes against banks.
The suspects were expelled for violating the terms of their tourist visas and fined around $250 each.
"They were arrested by police in October over allegations that they were carrying out online scams targeting international banks," a senior immigration official who asked for anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to media without permission, told AFP.
He said the group, including 13 women, was flown to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on a chartered SriLankan Airlines flight on Friday morning accompanied by Sri Lankan police and Chinese security escorts.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan police said a court in the central Kandy district ordered the electronic devices seized from the group to be handed to Chinese authorities.
Those deported were among around 230 Chinese men and women detained in October on cybercrime allegations, with the remainder awaiting legal proceedings.
The Chinese embassy said at the time that Beijing's crackdown on cybercriminals at home may have pushed some to go abroad.
Last year, police arrested another 200 suspects, mainly Indians, who were also accused of operating online financial scams.

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Sri Lanka deports 85 Chinese nationals over bank cybercrime suspicions

The deported individuals were part of approximately 230 Chinese men and women arrested in October on cybercrime charges, with the others still facing legal proceedings read more In a major crackdown on cybercrime gangs, the South Asian nation of Sri Lanka on Friday (June 20) deported 85 Chinese nationals after they were accused of targeting the country's banks. The suspects were found guilty of violating the terms of their tourist visas and fined around $250 each. 'They were arrested by police in October over allegations that they were carrying out online scams targeting international banks,' a senior immigration official who asked for anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to media without permission, told AFP. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The official said the Chinese nationals, including 13 women, were flown on a chartered SriLankan Airlines flight to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. The group was accompanied by Sri Lankan police and Chinese security escorts. Sri Lankan police reported that a court in Kandy district ordered the electronic devices confiscated from the group to be transferred to Chinese authorities. The deported individuals were part of approximately 230 Chinese men and women arrested in October on cybercrime charges, with the others still facing legal proceedings. The Chinese embassy noted at the time that Beijing's intensified crackdown on cybercriminals domestically may have driven some to operate overseas. In the previous year, police detained around 200 suspects, mostly Indians, who were also accused of running online financial scams. Last year, the country's foreign minister, Vijitha Herath, had expressed concerns that the island nation was becoming a 'hub' for cybercrimes. 'We have to see if Sri Lanka is a cyber crimes hub,' Herath told reporters, 'and whether our financial system is being affected by this.' At that time, Sri Lankan Police Spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said one of the reasons for this could be the 'gullibility' of Sri Lankan nationals. 'It could be a sociological reason; many groups in Sri Lanka are easily enticed by messages, and are gullible.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'People in economic difficulties can be enticed into earning quick money.'