Bogus job agencies busted

Lakshmi DE SILVA

The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) special investigation unit had raided five more bogus job recruitment agencies last week and filed action against the suspects. During the last two weeks, the SLBFE had taken action against 10 illegal recruitment agencies, an SLBFE official told the Daily News yesterday.
Daily News
The raids were carried out on the instructions of the SLBFE Chairman Kingsley Ranawaka who received complaints from the public.

The officers had taken 99 passports into custody from Trans Air Gulf recruitment agency in Haliela and had produced one suspect before the Magistrate who ordered to furnish personal bail in Rs 500,000 and to appear in Court on August 17, he said.

Another suspect from O.M. Gift Centre, Badulla road, Welimada was taken into custody with eight passports and produced before the Welimada Magistrate’s Court.

She was bailed out on a surety of Rs 10,000 and personal bail of Rs 200,000. She was directed to appear before Court on August 31, he stated.

Another illegal foreign employment agency was raided at 165, Nelumpathwewa road, Ambanpola North, Mahawa by SLBFE officials who took into custody two passports and documents along with the owner of the agency.

He was produced before Mahawa Magistrate and released on a surety of Rs 7,000 and a personal bail of Rs100,000, he said.

Two illegal recruitment agencies were raided in Maradana and suspects were produced before the Maligakanda Magistrate. The agency at 765/142, Bodhiraja Mawatha, Maligawatte had 52 passports while The Genuine Travels and Tours foreign employment agency had eight passports in their possession when the raid was carried out. The suspects were released on personal bail of Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000, the official said.

SLBFE Chairman Kingsley Ranawaka also took part in a sudden inspection tour at the People’s Park Pettah to check 20 foreign recruitment agencies recently to check whether the agencies work according to SLBFE rules and regulations.