Colombo, April 25 - Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara instructed the officials of the criminal investigation department of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) to crack down and enforce the law against individuals fraudulently collecting money while claiming to provide foreign employment opportunities.

Following discussions with the investigative team attached to the Ministry, the Minister informed the media that if anyone has faced such an incident, they should lodge a complaint with the complaints section of the SLBFE to initiate legal action against such parties.

However, he instructed officials to take necessary measures to prevent any activities related to collecting money while falsely claiming to provide foreign employment opportunities.

Additionally, he informed the top management of the SLBFE to provide the necessary facilities for conducting thorough investigations into illegal money collection under the guise of offering foreign employment opportunities.

The Minister also noted that complaints have been received regarding an incident involving a police sergeant and a Buddhist monk near Anuradhapura, who had fraudulently collected money while claiming to provide foreign jobs.

The Minister emphasized that only licensed foreign employment agencies are authorized to receive payments for foreign employment.

The Minister also assured that action will be taken against the suspects involved in this incident based on the complaints received.