News
Locals provided back-up services for Chinese racketeers
View(s):The 100 arrested Chinese tipped lavishly, travelled in cars with tinted windows, and studied the lay of the land.
Damith Wickremasekara reports
At least four local underworld gangs assisted the 100 Chinese nationals who were arrested last week in a high-level currency fraud. The Chinese were arrested in a midnight raid on 10 luxury houses spread across the city and suburbs. According to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the gangs found “safe houses” for the Chinese to live and operate from, provided them with transport and protection, and ensured the illegal activities proceeded smoothly.
The suspects being brought to court last week. Pic by Amila Gamage
The four gangs have been identified, and the Chinese nationals, who are in remand custody, are assisting in the investigation, providing information about their local links. A team of 22 Chinese officials, including investigators, have arrived from mainland China, and another six from Chinese-Taipei, to question the suspects. The arrested persons include 26 females.
The CID is checking telephone numbers the Chinese used, including calls made when the 10 houses were raided.
Eyewitnesses told the Sunday Times that the Chinese occupants of a house in Pitakotte had jumped over a wall and ran down a lane when the Police raid began. Apparently, the Chinese had studied the neighbourhood and marked out escape routes. They were also known to be big spenders.
“They spent lavishly,” a Pitakotte resident told the newspaper. “They would tip the garbage men Rs 1,000 every time they came to remove the garbage. They moved about in vehicles with tinted windows. You could make out only the passengers in the front seat. There would be six to seven Chinese passengers sitting at the back. No outsiders were allowed into the houses and apartments.”
The Chinese paid monthly rents starting at Rs 400,000. The CID raid, a senior CID officer told the newspaper, came after the Chinese government sought the Defence Ministry’s assistance to crackdown on a highly sophisticated currency fraud involving Sri Lanka-based Chinese nationals who were hacking into the bank accounts of wealthy persons in mainland China and Chinese-Tapei. Using blackmailing tactics, the racketeers coerced their victims into parting with large sums of money. The racket was revealed when a Chinese businesswoman lodged a complaint that her account had been broken into.
A unique feature of the operation was the “police station” effect. Each luxury house had a room outfitted with telephones, radios and walkie-talkies emanating Chinese voices and noise typical of a busy Chinese police station. When calls were made to China and Taiwan, potential victims were convinced the calls were authentic. The victims, usually businessmen, were given Thailand-based accounts to make their deposits.
In June this year, a similar racket was uncovered when 17 Chinese nationals were arrested at a house in Cotta Road, Borella. CID officials are not ruling out a possible link between the two operations.
Once the local investigation is completed, the 100 arrested persons will be deported to mainland China and Taiwan for questioning and prosecution.
Follow @timesonlinelk
comments powered by Disqus