The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka says that Beijing and the Sri Lankan government have since the start of 2026 stepped up joint law enforcement efforts to combat the growing trend of online gambling, telecom fraud and related criminal industries that have relocated from other countries.
In a statement on its official website, the embassy claims it has strengthened communication and coordination with Sri Lanka’s relevant ministries and departments and that the law enforcement agencies of the two countries have continued to deepen practical cooperation.
“Sri Lankan law enforcement authorities have carried out multiple investigations and crackdown operations, dismantled a number of gambling and fraud dens, and arrested a large number of fraud suspects, including nationals from several countries,” it states.
“A number of Chinese nationals involved in fraud-related crimes have been handed over to the Chinese side, producing a strong deterrent effect. Chinese public security authorities are making every effort to advance the investigation and handling of the relevant cases.”
It added that China “highly appreciates the hard work and effective efforts made by Sri Lanka ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, and Public Security, especially the immigration authorities and the police.”
The lengthy statement by the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka claims that the recent increase in gambling- and fraud-related crimes in the South Asian nation is a direct reflection of the spillover of regional criminal networks. Organized crime groups operating in East and Southeast Asia are expanding toward “more remote and more vulnerable” regions, it claims, with criminal activities such as scam compounds, underground banking operations and illegal online marketplaces showing signs of coordinated expansion and interconnected proliferation.
“If firm and immediate measures are not taken to curb the spread of illegal gambling, online gambling, telecom fraud and related crimes in Sri Lanka, these activities will seriously damage the country’s international image, undermine public security and social stability, and severely harm the safety, interests and sense of security of the Sri Lankan people,” it says.
“By working together to crack down on gambling- and fraud-related criminal activities in Sri Lanka, expeditiously repatriating relevant suspects and holding them legally accountable, and jointly dismantling the criminal, organizational and financial networks behind these operations, China and Sri Lanka can build a stronger shield against gambling and fraud crimes.”
The Embassy’s statement points to similar cooperation with other countries in recent years, namely Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Myanmar and Cambodia, which it says has led to the arrest and repatriation of a large number of overseas fraud suspects.
It also notes that China has proposed for relevant countries and regions to jointly establish an international alliance against telecom and online fraud so as to encourage and coordinate all parties and the international community to work together in addressing the “governance challenges” posed by such crimes and to promote the building of a new global framework for combating and governing telecom and online fraud crimes.
This, it adds, is because the “structure of criminal activity is undergoing profound changes,” with traditional crimes rapidly expanding and evolving online.
“New forms of crime represented by telecom and online fraud have become a global public nuisance and a major challenge for international law enforcement and governance,” it says. “Guided by the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, China has made substantive achievement together with relevant parties in combating transnational telecom and online fraud crimes.”
The Embassy also reiterates China’s stance on cross-border gambling, stating, “Chinese capital is forbidden to invest in overseas casinos, Chinese citizens are forbidden to participate in the operation of overseas casinos and overseas casinos are prohibited from soliciting Chinese citizens to gamble.
“Gambling almost invariably leads to financial ruin. Tens of thousands of Chinese citizens have suffered property losses and even personal harm as a result of cross-border gambling. Such activities may also give rise to other crimes and illegal acts, including fraud, money laundering, kidnapping, unlawful detention, human trafficking, illegal border crossing and so on. New Amendments to the Chinese Criminal Law has criminalized cross-border gambling activities.”
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