China and Sri Lanka have intensified bilateral law enforcement cooperation to tackle cross-border online gambling, telecom fraud, and related criminal enterprises that authorities say have increasingly migrated to Sri Lanka from other parts of Asia.
In a statement published on its official website, the Chinese Embassy in Colombo said the two countries have deepened practical cooperation since the start of 2026, with Sri Lankan authorities conducting multiple raids that have dismantled gambling and fraud operations and resulted in the arrest of suspects from several countries. A number of Chinese nationals implicated in fraud-related offenses have been handed over to Chinese authorities, with the Embassy describing the repatriations as having produced a strong deterrent effect.
The Embassy identified online gambling and telecom fraud as the dominant forms of transnational organized crime being targeted, and noted that these activities are typically bundled with a range of other offenses including human trafficking, money laundering, kidnapping, illegal detention, and unlawful border crossings.
Chinese officials attributed the growth of these networks in Sri Lanka to enforcement pressure in East and Southeast Asia, arguing that criminal operators squeezed out of other jurisdictions are seeking new bases of operation. The Embassy pointed to Sri Lanka’s telecommunications infrastructure, geographic position, and relatively accessible visa policies as factors that have made the country a target for these groups.
The statement commended the cooperation of Sri Lanka’s ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, and Public Security, along with immigration and police services, and warned that failure to act decisively could damage Sri Lanka’s international standing, destabilize communities, and threaten public safety.
China reiterated its position that Chinese capital is prohibited from investing in overseas casinos, that Chinese citizens are barred from operating them, and that foreign casinos are not permitted to solicit Chinese nationals. Recent amendments to Chinese criminal law have also designated cross-border gambling activities as criminal offenses.
The cooperation with Sri Lanka follows similar bilateral arrangements Beijing has pursued with Spain, the UAE, Myanmar, and Cambodia, all of which have resulted in arrests and repatriations. China said it intends to continue deepening law enforcement and security cooperation with Colombo under the framework of its Global Security Initiative.
