Money laundering Chinese nationals further remanded

COLOMBO (News 1st) - Two Chinese nationals who were arrested by the Police Financial Crimes Investigations Division (FCID) over

suspicious transactions in accounts maintained at a private bank

, were further remanded until the 24th of April. The suspects were produced before Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne today (April 12th). The suspicious accounts had been maintained by three Chinese nationals - two of them were arrested and produced in court. The three accounts have been frozen and as of now, the accounts contain a total of Rs. 958 million. Last week, submitting a report the FCID pointed out that the suspects had wired money from their bank accounts in China to an agent who thereafter wires the payment to a person in Madagascar, who in turn sends gems to Sri Lanka. Today (April 12), the Magistrate ordered the FCID to conduct a separate investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to determine how the Chinese men generated money to buy gems. In addition, an order was issued to conduct a separate inquiry to determine if the suspects had violated any immigration and emigration laws in the country. Detectives believe the three Chinese nationals who had almost a billion rupees in their bank accounts in Sri Lanka are part of an international organised criminal enterprise.