&w=3840&q=100)
Sri Lanka deports 85 Chinese nationals over bank cybercrime suspicions
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.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
10 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Cyber frauds from Southeast Asia cost Indians Rs 1,500 crore monthly: Government data
NEW DELHI: A data compiled by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), has revealed that a majority of cyber frauds targeting Indian citizens are being operated from Southeast Asian countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. These frauds are primarily linked to organised networks allegedly managed by Chinese operators and have cost people in India up to ₹1,500 crore per month, sources said on Sunday. According to I4C data for the first half of 2025 (January to June), India has suffered online financial losses amounting to approximately ₹8,500 crore. Alarmingly, more than half of these losses are tied to cybercrime operations based in Southeast Asian nations. On average, the data revealed that monthly cyber fraud-related losses to Indians in 2025 range between ₹1,300 crore and ₹1,500 crore. However, the data for 2025 marks a noticeable decline compared to 2024, when the monthly average stood at around ₹2,200 crore. Sources said this decline is attributed to improved surveillance, international cooperation, and public awareness campaigns by the I4C.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
33 minutes ago
- First Post
At least 73 Palestinians killed as Israeli forces fire on aid seekers, Gaza civil defence agency says
The largest number of fatalities was reported in the north, where 67 people were killed as truckloads of food arrived near Gaza City. Six others were shot dead near Rafah in the south, where dozens more had been killed the previous day read more Palestinians carry humanitarian aid packages near the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution center operated by the U.S.-backed organization in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. AP At least 73 Palestinians were killed and dozens more wounded after Israeli forces opened fire on crowds of people attempting to collect humanitarian aid on Sunday, Gaza's civil defence agency said, as deaths during aid distribution continue to mount in the besieged enclave. The largest number of fatalities was reported in the north, where 67 people were killed as truckloads of food arrived near Gaza City. Six others were shot dead near Rafah in the south, where dozens more had been killed the previous day, according to the agency. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said its 25-truck convoy carrying food supplies 'encountered massive crowds of hungry civilians which came under gunfire' shortly after crossing from Israel into northern Gaza. Israel's military disputed the death toll and claimed soldiers had fired warning shots to 'remove an immediate threat posed to them' as thousands gathered near Gaza City. The army also said it would be reviewing the incident. 'Like hunting animals in a forest' In Gaza City, Qasem Abu Khater said he had gone to find flour but instead found 'deadly overcrowding and pushing'. 'The tanks were firing shells randomly at us and Israeli sniper soldiers were shooting as if they were hunting animals in a forest,' the 36-year-old told AFP. 'Dozens of people were martyred right before my eyes and no one could save anyone.' Civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said the death toll was expected to rise and attributed the southern killings to 'Israeli forces' gunfire'. The WFP condemned the violence as 'completely unacceptable'. Media restrictions and access difficulties in Gaza have made it impossible for AFP and other organisations to independently verify the reported tolls. The Israeli army said this month that it had issued new instructions to its ground troops 'following lessons learned' from earlier deadly incidents involving aid-seekers. According to the UN, nearly 800 people have been killed while seeking aid in Gaza since late May. Mounting pressure over civilian casualties The ongoing war was sparked by Hamas's 7 October 2023 assault on Israel, in which 1,219 people were killed, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. Militants also took 251 hostages into Gaza. In response, Israel launched a relentless military campaign that has killed at least 58,895 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Most of Gaza's more than 2 million residents have been displaced at least once. On Sunday, the Israeli military ordered people in Deir el-Balah to move south, warning of an expanded operation in an area it has rarely entered. Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X that forces were 'expanding its activities' against Hamas in the central Gaza region. With inputs from AFP
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
2,471 Indians rescued from scam centres in southeast Asian countries during 2022-25: Govt data
Of 2,471 rescued Indians, who were lured to various southeast Asian countries with fake job offers and made to engage in cybercrime and other fraudulent activities in scam compounds, 273 are from Tamil Nadu, 247 from Uttar Pradesh, 224 from Maharashtra, 196 from Kerala, and 151 from Jammu and Kashmir, according to the data compiled by the Centre from 2022 to May 2025. As many as 22,145 Indians travelled on visitor visas to Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam from January 1, 2022, to January 31, 2025, have not returned, The Indian Express has learnt. According to the data compiled by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), a unit under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), over 20,000 Indians are expected to be working in the scam compounds situated in Southeast Asia from where they are targeting Indians and citizens of other countries. The country-wise data of repatriated Indians shows that 1,089 were returned from Lao PDR, 800 from Cambodia and 582 from Myanmar from January 2022 to May 2025. 'Out of 1,089 repatriated Indians from Lao PDR, 145 are from Tamil Nadu, 129 from Maharashtra, 96 from J&K, 79 from UP, and 69 from Kerala. Among 800 Indians repatriated from Cambodia, 116 are from Kerala, 103 from UP, 95 from Tamil Nadu, 71 each from Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal,' a senior government official said, citing the data. Out of 582 repatriated Indians from Myanmar, the official said 65 are from UP, 61 from Maharashtra, 57 from Gujarat, 48 from Punjab and 34 from Karnataka. 'An analysis of cyber frauds this year revealed that they are targeting the Indian economy, and the country faces a loss of around Rs 1,000 crore every month to such crimes,' the official said. Data of unreturned passengers shows that 22,145 Indians, who went on visitor visas to Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam from January 1, 2022 to January 31 this year, have not returned till March 1. 'Out of the 22,145 Indians, 15,828 are in Thailand, 3,566 are in Vietnam, 2,121 are in Cambodia, 387 in Myanmar, and 243 are in Lao PDR. Of them, the highest number of people (3,358) have travelled from Punjab, 2,581 from UP, 2,441 are from Tamil Nadu, 1,978 from Kerala, 1,857 from Maharashtra, 1,477 from Haryana, 1,058 from Delhi, 973 from Gujarat, 876 from Karnataka and 740 are from Rajasthan,' another government official said. The Indian Express first reported that more than 5,000 Indians were suspected to be trapped in Cambodia after being allegedly held against their will and forced to carry out cyber fraud. 'Out of the 22,145 unreturned passengers, 7,811 are in the age group of 20-29, 6,682 in the 30-39, 3,204 in the 40-49 category, and 1,631 in the 50-59 bracket,' the official added. Following the directions of the MHA, multiple central agencies and state police have registered 178 FIRs and arrested 224 people on charges of job fraud, cheating and others. A probe has revealed that there are three types of major cybercrime frauds operating from Southeast Asia: stock trading/investment scams, digital arrest, and task-based and investment-based scams.
