The Officer-in-Charge of the Welikada Police Station, Chief Inspector Saman Weerasinghe, informed Nuwan Kaushalya, Additional Magistrate of Colombo, through a report that investigations are underway to determine whether the 120 suspects from nine countries, including China, who were arrested in Rajagiriya over financial and cybercrime offences, are connected to the recent theft of US$2.5 million from the Treasury.

The hearing was conducted via a WhatsApp video call, and the Additional Magistrate ordered that all 120 suspects be remanded in custody until the 15th.

Proceedings were carried out with the assistance of a Chinese language interpreter.

The suspects were arrested by Welikada Police while staying in a seven-storey building located at No. 106, Meda Welikada Estate Road, Welikada, Rajagiriya.

Police informed court that security for the building had been provided by a private security services company, while food had been supplied to the suspects by a catering service provider.

Police further stated that the operation had been conducted across three floors, namely the first, third and fifth floors, where business activities had taken place.

They also told court that, so far, only the first floor has been searched, where items such as safes and telephones were found.

Police further revealed that investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department have uncovered that funds had been received from five countries in connection with the operation.

One suspect missing

Meanwhile, one suspect was not produced before court by prison authorities among those presented today. The court ordered the Welikada Prison to submit a report at the next hearing regarding the whereabouts of the relevant suspect.