Immigration Official Nabbed by CID Over Alleged Role in Securing Fraudulent Passport for Organised Criminal

An Assistant Controller attached to Sri Lanka's Department of Immigration and Emigration has been taken into custody by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on suspicion of facilitating the preparation of a fraudulent passport on behalf of an organised criminal, authorities confirmed.

The arrest was carried out on Thursday by CID officers following investigations into the alleged conspiracy, which points to a serious breach of trust within one of the country's key government institutions.

Senior Official Implicated in Passport Fraud

The suspect, who held the rank of Assistant Controller within the Department of Immigration and Emigration, is accused of using his position to assist in processing an illegal travel document for an individual with known links to organised crime. The case has raised alarm over the vulnerability of official channels to criminal exploitation.

Concerns Over Institutional Integrity

The arrest has cast a spotlight on the integrity of Sri Lanka's immigration system, with investigators believed to be probing whether the fraudulent passport was intended to facilitate the criminal's movement — potentially allowing the individual to evade law enforcement or travel under a false identity.

The CID is continuing its investigation into the matter, and further arrests are not being ruled out as authorities seek to determine the full extent of the alleged conspiracy and whether any other officials may have been involved.

The Department of Immigration and Emigration has not yet issued an official public statement regarding the arrest of its officer.