Illegal job agencies busted

Three women nabbed:

Rasika SOMARATHNA

Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) sleuths arrested three females who operated illegal employment agencies in three different locations in Colombo and the outstations.

"All three were engaged in securing overseas jobs for Lankans for a fee without the sanction of authorities. They are also believed to have duped millions of rupees from migrant worker hopefuls with false promises," the SLBFE said. Two agents were arrested from Pitakotte and Nugegoda, where both had offices. SLBFE sleuths siezed forged documents and emblems, passports, certificates, computers etc from the two locations.

The third female suspect was arrested from Alawwa along with her male accomplice. She was arrested following complaints to the Sri Lankan mission in Malaysia by stranded Lankans who had alleged that they had been duped by the woman after promising jobs in Malaysia.

It is belived that these Lankans had been taken to Malaysia by the duo after obtaining money with the false promise of employment and had abandoned them. The arrested accomplice of the woman is a dual citizenship holder, both in Sri Lanka and Malaysia, SLBFE sources said.

The duo were arrested after if was brought to SLBFE chairman Kingsley Ranawaka's attention by Sri Lankan mission in Malaysia deputy head Major General S.W.Davulagala.