A 52-year-old Sri Lankan man has been arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on charges of defrauding over Rs. 1.8 billion through a pyramid scheme. The suspect, who had fled the country a year ago, was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) upon his return from Malaysia.

The man’s wife, who was at the airport to receive him, was also arrested. Police Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa confirmed the arrests and said that investigations into the fraudulent scheme are ongoing.