Colombo, According to a media report on Friday, as many as 137 Indian nationals who were allegedly involved in a large-scale online financial scam across multiple locations in Sri Lanka have been arrested by the police.

They were arrested on Thursday in the Colombo suburbs of Madiwela and Battaramulla and in the western coastal city of Negombo, police spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror newspaper.

He said that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) conducted simultaneous raids in these areas, in which 158 mobile phones, 16 laptops and 60 desktop computers were seized.

In Negombo, 55 suspects were arrested along with 55 mobile phones and 29 laptops.

Similarly, in Kochchikade, authorities detained 53 people and confiscated 31 laptops and 58 mobile phones.

The operation in Madiwela led to the arrest of 13 suspects and the recovery of eight laptops and 38 mobile phones, while in Thalangama, 16 suspects were arrested with eight laptops and 38 mobile phones.

The SSP said all the arrested suspects were men.

The crackdown follows a complaint from a victim who was lured into a WhatsApp group by promising cash in exchange for social media interactions.

Further investigation revealed a scheme in which victims were forced to make deposits after initial payments. In Peradeniya, a father-son duo admitted to helping scammers, the newspaper reported.

Key evidence uncovered during the raid of a luxury home in Negombo led to the initial arrest of 13 suspects and the seizure of 57 phones and computers.

Subsequent operations in Negombo produced an additional 19 arrests, exposing international links in Dubai and Afghanistan. Among the victims were both locals and foreigners, the report added.

They are suspected of being involved in financial fraud, illegal betting and various gambling activities.