Over 1,000 foreign cyber fraudsters arrested since Malima government took power. Investors fear Sri Lanka becoming hacker paradise. Udaya Gammanpila warns.
Sri Lanka is rapidly becoming a paradise for cyber fraudsters, and this alarming trend is now scaring away potential investors. Leader of the Pure Sinhala Heritage party and Attorney at Law Udaya Gammanpila expressed these views at a media briefing held today at the party’s head office, warning that the country’s reputation is being destroyed.
“Day before yesterday, 157 foreign cyber fraudsters were arrested. This is not an isolated incident. Several such incidents have been reported over the past four months. Since the Malima government came to power, the number of foreign cyber criminals arrested in the country exceeds 1000. Among them are Chinese, Indians, Malaysians, Filipinos, and also Myanmar nationals.”
As a result of this influx of foreign cyber criminals into Sri Lanka, cyber crimes are increasing by leaps and bounds. According to police reports, there were 7,210 police complaints regarding cyber fraud in 2024. That number has increased to 12,650 in 2025. This raises concerns about whether the government has any real strategy to combat this growing threat.
Historically, Cambodia and Myanmar became hubs for cyber fraudsters. Unfortunately, over the past year, that has gradually been shifting to Sri Lanka. Perhaps due to the existence of a government of cyber criminals or hackers in Sri Lanka, they may have concluded that Sri Lanka is the best place in the world to carry out their operations now that their citizens have seized power here.
What happens next could be critical for the economy. Several cyber frauds have been reported within the government itself recently. A fraud of Rs. 1,320 crore occurred at NDB Bank. The Treasury fraud exceeded Rs. 80 crore. A fraud of Rs. 20 crore occurred at the Postal Department. A fraud of Rs. 5 crore occurred at the Road Development Authority. In the private sector, a fraud of Rs. 600 crore occurred at Commercial Bank. A massive data theft of two terabytes occurred at Cargills Bank.
Therefore, we remind the government that the impact of cyber fraudsters coming to Sri Lanka is now being felt across the entire country. The regular arrest of foreign cyber criminals in Sri Lanka has now become a constant international news story. This damages the nation’s image as a safe destination for business.
What this means is that Sri Lanka has become a paradise for hackers. Those most alarmed by this are the investors who have already invested in Sri Lanka and those hoping to invest here. Therefore, those investors may scale back their investments and leave for another country. An investor intending to come to Sri Lanka may choose another alternative country instead. Therefore, if the government does not take steps to prevent Sri Lanka from becoming a paradise for these cyber criminals, no matter how much money the Investment Board spends, no matter how much promotion they do, no matter how many tax concessions and incentives they offer, investors will not come.
Furthermore, hackers come to Sri Lanka not only because the government here is a government of hackers, but also because there is a favourable environment for hackers. Why do we say that? Today, any person can enter Sri Lanka very easily. Upon arrival, anyone can obtain an online visa via the internet. Alternatively, any foreigner is given a 30-day visa upon arrival. This can be extended periodically up to 9 months.
Now some might ask, “Isn’t it the same in Singapore? Singapore also gives a 30-day visa upon arrival.” That is true. However, Singapore has a highly powerful intelligence service that uses state of the art technology. Information about criminals committing crimes anywhere in the world is updated in their database. They have a blacklist. If a name on that blacklist arrives at the airport, they ensure that person does not receive a visa. Furthermore, as soon as a visa expires, their computer system sends a message to authorities that a certain person is staying without a visa. Then authorities not only arrest and deport those individuals, but also prevent them from re-entering Singapore.
Without any of that, by allowing anyone to enter Sri Lanka, we are not only turning Sri Lanka into a hub for cyber fraudsters, but also into a paradise for drug traffickers, antiquities smugglers, human traffickers, underworld gang leaders, and various other criminals from around the world.
To stop this, either the government must stop hunting war heroes and take immediate steps to strengthen the intelligence services, or return to the old system of issuing visas. If one of these two things is not done immediately, none of us can stop Sri Lanka from becoming a paradise for cyber criminals and turning into another Chicago.
Furthermore, our country does not have a legal system necessary to bring cyber criminals to justice. Because of this, it has been impossible to impose strict punishments on the cyber criminals who are arrested. Therefore, what our Minister of Justice must do now is stop all other fraudulent activities and immediately introduce a robust legal system that imposes strict punishments on cyber criminals. If not, we remind the Malima government that attracting investors to Sri Lanka will remain just another dream.
