Nine Sri Lankans attempting to migrate to Canada using forged visas were intercepted by immigration officials at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on the evening of the 24th.
Each passenger had reportedly paid Rs. 4.5 million to obtain fraudulent travel documents, making this the largest group ever caught attempting to leave the country with bogus visas.
The Department of Immigration and Emigration (DIE) officials first identified a forged Canadian visa on a passenger’s Sri Lankan passport at the BIA Departure Terminal. Further checks by the Border Surveillance Unit (BSU) confirmed the visa was fake, though the passport itself was genuine.
This initial arrest led to the detention of eight more Sri Lankans, including a woman, who were waiting to board SriLankan Airlines flight UL 225 to Dubai. A senior immigration officer stated this was the first time such a large group had been stopped at a local airport for visa fraud.
The detained individuals, aged 30 to 40, were from Colombo, Dehiwala, Galle, and Neluwa. Prior to their departure, they had been accommodated in a Negombo hotel by their coordinator. DIE officials alerted the BIA Criminal Investigation Department (CID), leading to the arrest of the local agent behind the scam.
Investigations revealed that the mastermind of the operation is a former Sri Lankan now residing in Toronto, who coordinated the scheme through the arrested local agent. The group and their documents were handed over to the CID for further investigation.
