Colombo, Oct 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) The expansion of illegal call centres in Sri Lanka poses a threat to the country's national security, financial system stability, and international reputation, a report has detailed while highlighting the prime role being played by Chinese nationals in the racket.
Many covertly operating illegal call centres are behind the increase in cybercrimes and computer financial frauds in Sri Lanka in recent times. The most sensitive part of this organised international crime network is the involvement of the majority of Chinese nationals, a report in 'Ceylon News 24' mentioned.
The official information from the Computer Crime Investigation Division of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) under the Right to Information (RTI) Act further highlights the severity of this situation. Since its establishment in 2021, the Computer Crime Investigation Division of the CID has carried out five major raids on illegally operated call centres (Boiler Rooms) until July 31, 2026.
As many as 408 people, including 284 Chinese nationals, have been arrested from illegal call centres in Sri Lanka. Out of the 201 people arrested in Sri Lanka in the first seven months of 2026, 156 are Chinese nationals, which indicates that they have become primary stakeholders in operating these illegal call centres.
According to the report, an analysis of how these illegal call centres operate reveals that these organised crime gangs operate their networks through highly sophisticated and well-planned methods. Foreigners, particularly Chinese and Vietnamese nationals, are brought into Sri Lanka through online platforms like Telegram, Facebook, and LinkedIn under the guise of high-paying jobs in 'data entry' or 'online marketing'. Subsequently, their passports are taken and they are confined in isolated bunglows and hotels, where they are forced to make illegal calls and send messages from scam centres.
The majority of these groups arrive in Sri Lanka as tourists, buy homes and apartments to live together and operate these crime networks. These networks operate from Sri Lanka but their primary victims are Chinese citizens residing in China. Operating from a foreign nation makes it difficult for the Chinese police to find their physical location and server IP addresses, according to the report.
"Unless authorities act immediately to enforce strict legal and technological measures, Sri Lanka’s standing as a tropical paradise will inevitably give way to becoming a major haven for international cybercriminals," the report in 'Ceylon News 24' mentioned.
Source: IANS
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