8 Lankans in B’desh cyber heist - Names, details revealed to government -Sets off separate police probe in Colombo

2016-04-20

Eight Sri Lankan nationals, residing in Sri Lanka, have been directly involved in the US$ 1.3 billion cyber heist, allegedly with help from Chinese nationals, from the Bangladesh Central [Reserve] Bank account with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, senior State officials in Colombo confirmed yesterday.

The Lankan Government has been given the names and other particulars of the Lankans involved in the scam, agency reports and Lankan officials confirmed.
The confirmation came in a sequel to inquiries made about agency reports to this effect, naming 20 foreigners, including eight Sri Lankans, as possibly being recipients of stolen Bangladeshi government funds while not necessarily being part of the hackers' organization.

The Bangladesh's Bank systems as well as the New York Fed's computer systems were breached for the $1 billion heist, most of it remitted to Philippine casinos and US$20 million to eight others in Sri Lanka which was however mostly blocked in time because of a misspelling of a company name that aroused suspicions leading to the 'stop payment' order.

Mohammad Shah Alam, a senior officer at the Criminal Investigation Department of the Bangladesh Police has been quoted in agency reports as saying that Interpol had helped identify the Philippinos and Lankans identified in the biggest cyber heist ever this year and one of the largest in history.

The Lankan Government has been asked not to divulge details passed on to it because that might impede further investigations. A Philippines Senate Committee continues hearings into the processes of the heist, now clearly linked to the shadier side of night life in the Philippines.

Top Lankan Police Officials declined comment as they too are following the probe in Colombo to verify whether casinos in the country are also involved in the laundering scheme.