Sri Lanka has seen a significant rise in foreigners arrested in connection to cybercrimes, with 1,093 foreign nationals already apprehended this year.
Police Media Spokesperson Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) F.U. Wootler stated that 27 separate incidents led to the arrests.
This represents an exponential rise compared to 2025, when just 26 foreign nationals were arrested for cybercrimes in Sri Lanka, following 573 arrests recorded in 2024.
Background
The surge in arrests has been attributed to sweeping crackdowns on large-scale scam compounds across Southeast Asia, which forced transnational criminal networks to relocate their operations to Sri Lanka.
This migration has been facilitated by the country's relatively accessible visa policies.
In response to local enforcement, these syndicates have adopted decentralized operations, utilizing short-term rentals and tourism activities as cover to evade detection.
Police advisory
Police reiterated its advisory to property owners to strictly verify the identity, business registration and visa details of any foreign national seeking to rent or lease their property.
Landlords and property managers are legally obligated under Section 76 of the Police Ordinance to notify the nearest police station about the arrival or departure of foreign guests and tenants, the spokesman also added.
Police also urged citizens and property owners to remain vigilant against illegal activities and immediately report suspicious foreign rentals to the police via the 1818 hotline.
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