A team from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrived in Sri Lanka to assist local authorities in investigating a cyber theft involving $2.5 million in Sri Lankan Treasury funds, along with another $625,000 linked to payments to the U.S. Postal Service, a senior officer told the media .
The investigation has taken an international dimension after tracking revealed that the stolen funds were routed through financial systems in the United States, with links traced to multiple bank accounts in two different states.
Officials said discussions have already begun within the U.S. Embassy premises, where Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers have held several rounds of meetings with FBI representatives.
The senior officer stated that a federal team is currently working on the ground in coordination with the CID to trace the digital trail of the stolen money.
Earlier reports indicated that investigators had identified a company allegedly used to conceal the hackers behind the disappearance of $2.5 million.
According to investigators, the funds were routed through a third-party entity called “Biz Solutions,” which is said to be involved in online business registration services and is registered in the U.S. state of Delaware.
The cyber breach targeted the Department of External Resources (ERD), involving unauthorized access to official email systems and the interception of financial communications.
Through this breach, hackers allegedly diverted funds linked to a $22.9 million bilateral debt repayment to Australia.
Police investigations have revealed that four out of six payment vouchers intended for Australian authorities were intercepted and redirected by the hackers during the settlement process.
Although Delaware was used for company registration due to its relatively flexible business laws, one of the final transaction trails is also linked to another U.S. state with stricter banking regulations.
U.S. authorities have reportedly pledged full cooperation and have indicated readiness to take legal action against any suspects based in the United States.
However, investigators say they are still working to conclusively verify the exact transaction routes and identify the final destination accounts where the funds were ultimately deposited.
Authorities have confirmed that there is still no definitive clarity on which accounts received the stolen money or how it was finally distributed.
The FBI has also agreed to provide technical assistance and advanced investigative tools to support the CID in continuing the probe.
