A covert financial network worth billions has been uncovered in Colombo, leading to a dramatic arrest and exposing what police believe could be one of Sri Lanka’s largest international money laundering operations.
A Colombo resident has been arrested by the Central Crime Bureau after investigators uncovered a series of secret bank accounts holding billions of rupees in unexplained funds. The suspect was produced before court and has been remanded in custody as investigations intensify.
Senior Superintendent of Police Kamal Ariyawansa revealed that just one of the suspect’s bank accounts contained more than one billion rupees. Police inquiries further uncovered four additional accounts holding massive sums, including balances exceeding five hundred million, six hundred million, and eight hundred million rupees. Authorities say the scale of the operation is unprecedented in Sri Lanka’s criminal investigations.
Police described the case as the first instance where such an extensive volume of suspicious financial transactions has been detected within the country’s banking system. The arrest was carried out by a special team that included Sub Inspector Indika Milan, acting on direct instructions from SSP Kamal Ariyawansa.
Further investigations are being conducted under the close supervision of Senior Deputy Inspector General Ranmal Kodithuwakku and Deputy Inspector General Chandana Kodithuwakku, as officers work to trace the origin and destination of the funds.
According to police findings, the suspect had been systematically rotating bank accounts, closing and opening new ones every three months in an apparent attempt to evade detection. Investigators also revealed that the movement of these crores of rupees involved communication with a network of foreign brokers.
This has raised strong suspicions that the financial activity is linked to an organized international racket involving money laundering, illegal fund transfers, or other cross-border financial crimes. Authorities say further arrests and disclosures are likely as the probe continues.
