Sri Lanka deports dozens of Chinese
A cargo ship sails towards Colombo Harbour as a Sri Lankan national flag is seen, amid the country's economic crisis in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 23, 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS
Sri Lanka deported 85 Chinese nationals on Friday, months after they were detained on suspicion of carrying out cybercrimes against banks.
The suspects were expelled for 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.
He said the group, including 13 women, was flown to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on a chartered SriLankan Airlines flight on Friday morning accompanied by Sri Lankan police and Chinese security escorts.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan police said a court in the central Kandy district ordered the electronic devices seized from the group to be handed to Chinese authorities. AFP