A former Pradeshiya sabha Member affiliated with the United National Party (UNP) has been arrested for fraudulently using forged letterheads of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, to carry out illegal foreign employment scams.

The suspect was apprehended by officers of the Police Unit attached to the Special Investigations Division of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE). During the arrest, officers recovered several forged letterheads, photocopies of foreign passports, and numerous foreign employment application forms in his possession.

Investigations revealed that the suspect had defrauded 11 individuals by promising employment opportunities in Canada, collecting more than LKR 30 million in total.

Following two formal complaints received by the SLBFE alleging the misuse of Minister Vijitha Herath’s official letterheads, a special investigation was launched. As a result, the suspect was arrested on January 26, 2026, while he was secretly operating the scam from a lodge located in Obeysekarapura, Rajagiriya.

The arrested individual is a resident of the Pilimatalawa area and a former member of the Yatinuwara Pradeshiya Sabha in Kandy. He has also previously served on the staff of the former Opposition Leader of the Central Provincial Council and is known to be a prominent UNP activist.

The suspect was produced before the Aluthkade Magistrate’s Court on January 27, 2026. Although bail was granted, he was unable to fulfil the bail conditions and was therefore remanded in custody.

Further investigations have revealed that the suspect has been involved in similar fraudulent activities for several years using forged documents, and that multiple cases against him are currently pending before the Kandy courts.

The ongoing investigations are being carried out under the special supervision of Senior Superintendent of Police Kamal Ariyawansa, Director of the Central Special Crimes Investigation Division. The raid and arrest were conducted with the participation of R.G.P.P. Ariyasinghe (Officer-in-Charge/Manager of the Special Investigations Division), Police Inspector T.P. de Alwis, and Police Sergeant Dissanayake.