The Colombo South Division Criminal Investigation Bureau has revealed that a complaint by a Chinese national that a group of people broke into his house located on Borella Lake Drive Road and robbed him was bogus.
The 38-year-old Chinese businessman, who is said to be engaged in business activities in the port city of Colombo, robbed more than Rs 40 million rupees of money and property through pyramid scams. Two Chinese nationals, including the Chinese national interpreter and another person who assisted him in acting the robbery, were also arrested.
Investigations have revealed that this Chinese national is carrying out a pyramid scheme in this country, together with a group of other Chinese nationals. Investigations have also revealed that this robbery was planned by this Chinese man to cover up the loss of the money by gambling in casinos The Chinese businessman lodged a complaint at the Borella Police yesterday (20) morning saying that a group of robbers broke into his house the previous night and looted property worth more than Rs 40 million.
This Chinese national told the police that he had gone for business on the 19th and returned home around midnight. According to the complaint, he had come home in a purple colour KDH van with his interpreter. The Chinese man told the police that the owner of the van was the interpreter cum driver.
The Chinese businessman told the police that when he entered the house with the interpreter, three masked men who were inside the house attacked them, put a sword to his neck, and tied his hands. The interpreter told the police that he was scared and was tied up at gunpoint.
Then the Chinese businessman told the police that one of the people had taken his mobile phone and checked it. The Chinese national told the police that the robbers threatened him because the phone was locked and while he was unlocking it, he sent a text message to one of his friends and informed him that he was in trouble. He told the police that shortly after sending the message, the bell of the house rang and the robbers who were staying in the house panicked and ran away from the house. The police say that the three robbers opened the front door of the house and ran away and at the same time the Chinese national’s friends had also entered the house. A senior police officer said that the first suspicion arose about it as it was an unusual incident.
The Chinese national told police that two friends came to the house and they untied his and the interpreter’s hands. After checking the house, it was observed that the robbers had fled in the van and the cook had also been tied up and gagged.
The Chinese national complained to the police that the robbers had also taken away a stock of American dollars, Yuan, Thai currency, Hong Kong dollars, Dirhams and Sri Lankan rupees worth more than Rs 23.8 million. Apart from that, 11 mobile phones, seven laptops, five bottles of foreign liquor, an Armani watch, a valuable waist belt and the van were among the other looted items. The value of those properties is over Rs 17.7 million.
Although there is a camera system, the DVR that stores the security camera footage has also been stolen by robbers, as the Chinese national complained.
It has also been revealed that the house where these Chinese nationals were staying was rented for Rs 70 million. The racket has been carried out from this house. When the police raided the house, the police said that a group of Chinese nationals involved in the pyramid schemes had fled.
It has also been revealed that these Chinese nationals have been staying in this country for more than a year and are conducting this international pyramid scheme online. The police also found several laptops used for that purpose. At the time of the raid, about 15 Chinese nationals who were staying there had fled. It is suspected that they have taken around 40 laptops used in this scam.
Investigations also revealed that the driver cum translator, was given Rs. 1.5 million to implement the plan.
Investigations have revealed that this person is not engaged in business activities in the port city of Colombo.
The police say that they are investigating the suspects involved in the pyramid scheme with the Chinese national. It has also been revealed that these Chinese nationals have been engaged in illegal smuggling of cigarettes to Sri Lanka. Thirty thousand cigarettes were also found in their possession.
It has been revealed that these racketeers have also bought seven houses from the luxury apartment complexes in Colombo.
Gayan Kumar Weerasinghe, Pradeep Kumar and Bimal Jayasinghe