By Roy Denish.
An Immigration Assistant Controller has been arrested by the CID over the alleged preparation of an illegal passport for an organised criminal.
COLOMBO — An Assistant Controller of Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration and Emigration has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over allegations that he helped facilitate an illegally prepared passport for an organised criminal.
The 42-year-old official, who is reported to be a resident of Gampaha, was taken into custody on September 17 by officers attached to the CID’s Special Investigations Unit.
Significantly, the arrest was carried out at the Department of Immigration and Emigration premises itself, according to police information released following the operation.
Investigators allege that the official aided and abetted the preparation of an irregular or fraudulent passport intended for an individual described by authorities as an organised criminal.
Police have so far not publicly disclosed the identity of either the arrested official or the alleged criminal who was to receive the travel document.
The precise circumstances under which the passport was allegedly prepared—including the identity used for the application, whether the document was ultimately issued, and whether it was used for international travel—have also not yet been made public.
Senior Position Raises Security Questions
The allegations are particularly serious because Assistant Controllers hold significant responsibilities within Sri Lanka’s passport administration system.
Under regulations governing passports and immigration, an Assistant Controller of Immigration and Emigration is among the officials recognised as a competent authority for the issuing or renewal of passports.
Any misuse of such authority could potentially allow individuals attempting to avoid law enforcement scrutiny to obtain travel documents using false, altered or improperly processed information.
However, investigators have not yet publicly explained what role the arrested official is alleged to have played in the processing of the passport or whether other officers were involved.
The CID’s Special Investigations Unit is continuing inquiries into the case.
Investigation May Examine Wider Process
The investigation is expected to focus on how the allegedly irregular passport application moved through the Immigration Department’s internal procedures and whether normal identity-verification and document-processing safeguards were bypassed.
Authorities have not announced whether additional arrests are expected.
While one report suggested investigators were examining whether others may have been involved, police have yet to publicly confirm that any other Immigration Department employee is suspected in connection with the case.
The Department of Immigration and Emigration had also not issued a detailed public statement explaining the circumstances surrounding the arrest at the time of reporting.
The department operates Sri Lanka’s passport, visa and border-control functions and handles highly sensitive personal and travel information.
Separate Passport Fraud Case Earlier This Year
The arrest comes several months after a separate passport-related investigation involving another former senior Immigration Department official.
In June 2026, a Senior Assistant Secretary attached to the Presidential Secretariat was remanded over allegations that he had fraudulently obtained and forged a passport in another person’s name to facilitate the departure of an organised criminal.
Authorities said the alleged offence occurred while that suspect was serving as a Deputy Controller in the Overseas Missions Division of the Department of Immigration and Emigration.
There is currently no publicly established connection between that investigation and the latest arrest.
The latest case nevertheless places renewed attention on the safeguards surrounding the issuance of Sri Lankan travel documents and the ability of investigators to detect attempts to obtain passports through allegedly fraudulent channels.
The CID’s Special Investigations Unit is continuing further investigations.
