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CID arrests three suspects over online scam

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The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) revealed information about an organised racket operated by three suspects who deceive the people posting online advertisements in order to steal money from their bank accounts.

The Computer Crime Investigation Division of the CID has already arrested the three persons involved in this racket in Kandy yesterday (16).

The suspects aged between 25 and 30 are residents of Kandy, Talatuoya and Medawachchiya.

A senior CID officer has told the Dinamina newspaper that these suspects call the phone numbers mentioned in online advertisements from phone numbers registered under others.

“They request the seller not to sell the item mentioned in that ad to anyone else. They plead with the seller and say they will deposit a little amount right away and the rest of the money will be paid in a few days. These people speak in such a way that the advertiser develops sympathy towards the caller and builds trust. Finally, after the advertiser expressed his interest in selling the product to these people, they ask for a bank account number in order to transfer money online. After transferring a little amount, these people talk to the advertiser to check if they have received. At the same time, they say that there is a code number and if possible to let them know what it is. Those who do not understand what this number is, give it right away. What happens is that these people use that number to access the account of the advertiser and get the money credited to another bank account,” he said.

The officer urged the public never to handover the password or the OTP number they receive from the bank to anyone else.

Investigations have revealed that all the three suspects arrested in Kandy are heavily addicted to drugs.

One suspect checks ads on social media sites and other websites and makes calls to the advertisers.

The other suspect sneaks into the advertiser’s accounts through the OTP number, steals the money and transfers it to another account.

The third suspect withdraws the money credited to the other account using an ATM card.

It has been revealed that they have infiltrated 80 bank accounts and stolen more than Rs.6 million.

The Computer Crime Investigation Division has received 20 complaints regarding such frauds.

The suspects have been arrested following a complaint filed by a Marawila resident who got caught in this fraud. He had posted an advertisement on a website to sell a generator.

The suspects have stolen Rs. 1.8 million from the victim.

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Maithri ordered to provide statement before court

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The Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court has ordered former President Maithripala Sirisena to provide a statement to court on April 04, based on the recent comments he had made over the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.

The order was issued today (28) after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had reported the relevant facts to the court, on the instructions of the Attorney General.

Mr. Sirisena had made this statement on March 22 and several factions had subsequently filed complaints with the Criminal Investigation Department in this regard.

The former President had even recorded a statement for around five-hours with the CID on Monday (March 25) over his recent comments.

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Sinopec to commence work on refinery project by June

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Minister of Power and Energy – Kanchana Wijesekera has stated that officials of the Sinopec Overseas Investment Holding Pvt Ltd (SOIHL), led by their vice President, had visited the ministry yesterday (March 27).

Tweeting, the minister added that the delegation updated on the progress of the negotiations with stakeholders for the construction of the proposed new refinery in Hambantota.

Noting that the officials indicated that the management of Sinopec has decided to double the capacity of the refinery from the original proposal and the Investment, he added that they intend to sign the agreements for the project and commence work by June 2024.

Discussions regarding the water supply, power supply, land allocation & BOI facilities will take place today with the relevant authorities, the Minister further noted.

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New online reporting system to combat child sexual abuse, launched

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The launch of an online platform enabling the swift removal of websites, photos, and videos containing or potentially containing instances of child sexual abuse took place today (March 28) at the Presidential secretariat under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.Recognizing the urgency of addressing child abuse in cyberspace, this initiative targets the dissemination of nude photos and indecent videos of children through internet and social media channels. Implemented by the National Child Protection Authority in collaboration with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), renowned for its expertise in internet child safety enforcement, this program receives financial support from Save the Children and Child Fund.

Following the implementation of this online system, individuals can now visit the website of the National Child Protection Authority at www.childprotection.gov.lk to report incidents of indecent photos and videos of children exchanged online. These reports will be handled by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) in collaboration with the National Child Protection Authority. Subsequently, the offending videos will be promptly removed from the internet, and legal action will be pursued against the perpetrators.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing this event said;

“For several decades, this sector has been neglected. The government has indeed neglected it, and the attention it warranted has not been provided. The magnitude of the problem now is such that resolving it within a year seems implausible. We lack the capacity to address the issue comprehensively; therefore, we must employ a variety of strategies.

Firstly, short-term recommendations must be promptly implemented. We propose that the existing committee include stakeholders from the government, specifically authorities in child care and probation services, along with representatives from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and the police force. Strengthening police numbers, particularly in women and children’s desks at every police station, is imperative. This effort must be coordinated with measures against drugs.Additionally, we must consider establishing a new structure and enacting new legislation. I advocate for the formation of a Children’s Council to oversee both the promotion of children’s interests and their protection. The management of probation and child care services should be devolved to the nine provinces, as I believe this responsibility does not necessarily belong to the central government.”

He added that immediate action should be taken on short-term recommendations, while the process of enacting new legislation pertaining to children’s rights should also be expedited.

For further information, contact the Law Enforcement Division at 011-2778911 extension (269) or visit the official website www.childprotection.gov.lk.The launch of this online initiative was attended by Minister of State for Women and Child Affairs and Social Empowerment, Ms Geeta Kumarasinghe, Chairman of the National Child Protection Authority, Senior Lecturer Mr Udayakumara Amarasinghe, Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and Social Empowerment, Ms Yamuna Perera, and representatives from various organizations dedicated to ensuring child safety.

(President’s Media Division)

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