SL Police probe Maldivian money - Laundering racket

The Sri Lankan police have begun investigations into a large-scale money laundering racket carried out in Colombo which involved money being transferred from Maldives to illegal money transfer agents in Sri Lanka.

The investigation comes in the backdrop of several raids carried into such illegal money transfer agencies.

“We have identified several locations in which Maldivians had transferred money through these agents in Colombo. We suspect that a portion of the money transferred from Maldives to Colombo is used for criminal operations such as the purchasing and distribution of narcotics and the smuggling of contraband,” a senior police officer speaking to Haveeru said.

Last week, the Sri Lanka Customs seized Rs. 81.76 million which is the largest detection of foreign currency at Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

The Maldivian Police identified that the money transfer agency, gallery, which is situated in a prominent shopping complex in Colombo, had been operating as a jewellery store and had been transferring money for the four Maldivian narcotics peddlers, who purchased drugs after receiving the money through the said money transfer agency.

Courtesy: HNS