Eight Indian nationals have been arrested over an alleged online gambling operation run from a house in Thalawathugoda, police say.
The raid followed information that a group of foreign nationals staying at a house in the area were engaged in online gambling using computers and mobile phones, NewsFirst reported. All eight were arrested after officers searched the premises.
Police seized six computers, 39 mobile phones and what the report describes as a large quantity of computer accessories. The suspects are aged between 22 and 51 and are in police custody. Further investigations are being conducted by the Thalangama Police.
The ratio of the haul is notable: 39 handsets for eight people, close to five phones each.
Context
Online betting has been a steady enforcement and regulatory target in Sri Lanka. The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission blocked 122 additional gambling websites in August, bringing the running total to 146, and parliament’s Committee on Public Finance has pressed for a tighter regulatory regime covering online betting and casinos.
What is not clear from this report is which side of that line the Thalawathugoda group is alleged to have been on — whether they are accused of placing bets themselves, or of operating a gambling service for customers elsewhere. The volume of equipment seized would be unusual for ordinary betting by eight individuals, but police have not characterised the operation.
Not reported
The report does not say when the raid took place, whether a court warrant was obtained, what offences the eight are alleged to have committed, or whether they have been produced before a magistrate. Their immigration status and how long they had been in the country are not stated, and no figure has been given for any money involved. Ada Derana also filed on the arrests, but its site has returned a CloudFront block for 13 days and that report could not be retrieved.
