Sri Lanka faces zero prosecutions despite surge in online scam arrests

Sri Lanka has recorded zero successful prosecutions related to transnational online scam operations, despite a significant surge in criminal activity and over 1,000 arrests this year. Police spokesman Fredrick Wootler confirmed that between January and September, authorities conducted raids on 27 suspected scam compounds and arrested 1,093 people, a sharp increase from previous years.

Experts and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) have warned that the nation is at serious risk of becoming an industrial-scale hub for cyber scams. These operations often involve organized crime syndicates and the exploitation of trafficked workers who are coerced into performing fraud schemes.

The lack of legal consequences is attributed to outdated legislation. Sri Lanka’s current computer crime law, dating from 2007, requires a formal complaint from a victim to open a case. Because most victims reside abroad, few complaints are filed. Consequently, the majority of suspects are currently being charged with visa violations and deported rather than being prosecuted for cybercrime.