Two groups of Chinese nationals clashed in Sri Lanka’ Colombo Port City on Thursday, July 23, allegedly leading to the abduction and murder of a man, according to local reports. The killing has now turned into an investigation into organised Chinese criminal networks, say local reports.

The investigators in Sri Lanka have ceased two vehicles suspected to be connected to the crime. (Representational Photo/AI-generated/ChatGPT)

On Thursday, hours after the clash, the police discovered the body in Eheliyagoda town and later arrested two suspects from Bandaranaike International Airport while they were attempting to flee the country.

According to the police, the man who was found dead was identified as being associated with cyber fraud activities. Further probe revealed that the Chinese nationals involved in the clash had arrived in Sri Lanka four months back and did not have any lawful employment in the country, according to a report by News First.

The two Chinese nationals arrested for alleged murder are being probed by Colombo Crimes Division officers.

Out of the three men, two were later found within the port city with their hands and legs tied but the third man was found dead with severe injuries, said investigators. His limbs were also tied and eyes bound and stones were placed over the body in an attempt to cover it, the police said. The body was taken to Avissawella Hospital mortuary.

The investigators have ceased two vehicles suspected to be connected to the crime, including a luxury jeep.

The probe has been handed over to the Colombo Crimes Division as it has begun to take larger shape in backdrop of several cybercrime and financial fraud investigations in the region.

Sri Lanka, in recent months, has seen arrests of several foreign nationals in connections with cybercrime and financial frauds. Probes have revealed that several cybercrime operations and scam centres are run across the country and supervised by Chinese national coordinators, the report said.

Investigators believe that organised crime networks operated by China are allegedly linked to a wider transnational cybercrime ecosystem.

Intel gathered in previous probes points that in countries such as Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar, online fraud operations are conducted at large scale and coordinated by criminal groups based in the United Arab Emirates. However, global pressure, media exposure, and coordinated crackdown has disrupted such operations, the report said.

However, one group that emerges frequently in such probes, according to investigators, is that of Chinese Triads network, which the report describes as “a collection of transnational criminal organizations known for operating in cities around the world with significant Chinese-speaking populations”.

Earlier, cybercrime schemes such as "pig butchering" investment and romance scam were identified to be used in cybercrime compounds in Myanmar and other parts of Southeast Asia. Sri Lankan investigators now suspect that similar scam models and their elements may now have entered Sri Lanka.