Police have arrested two individuals accused of collecting money from job seekers by falsely promising employment in Israel. The arrests were made at the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment following a tip-off to the Deputy Minister.
Two individuals have been taken into custody by the Special Investigation Police Unit of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment on suspicion of operating a fraudulent employment scheme. The suspects allegedly collected funds from prospective workers by claiming they could secure positions in Israel's construction and hospitality sectors through a government programme.
The arrests occurred at the SLBFE premises after Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra provided information about the scheme to investigators. One suspect is identified as a suspended police constable from Buttala, while the other is reportedly from Beliatta. Officers recovered seven passports and multiple Israeli employment agreement documents from the accused.
Investigators determined that the suspects repeatedly brought job seekers into the Bureau and conducted themselves in ways designed to suggest they were officials capable of arranging overseas employment. The pair allegedly impersonated Bureau staff and misled applicants about their authority and connections. Authorities have also identified a woman known as 'Chandani Menike' as a possible orchestrator of the operation; she was previously arrested by the Bureau's Investigation Division for an alleged similar scheme but was released on bail by Kaduwela Magistrate's Court.
The two suspects are scheduled for production before Kaduwela Magistrate's Court. The SLBFE has cautioned the public to conduct all transactions only with verified staff members at designated reception areas and to avoid engaging with individuals offering services in building corridors or outside the premises.
