The National Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (NAHTTF) of Sri Lanka, operating under the Ministry of Defence, in collaboration with the Regional Support Office (RSO) of the Bali Process, organized a significant one-day seminar titled “Thematic Dialogue on Preventing and Responding to Trafficking in Persons into Cyber-Scam Centers” on April 22, 2025.
The Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons, and Related Transnational Crime was initiated in 2002 as a non-binding, international multilateral forum. It aims to foster cooperation, information-sharing, and policy development on issues of irregular migration across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
The seminar was held at the auditorium of the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS), shedding light on a fast-evolving form of transnational crime. Mr. Ryan Winch, Programme Manager for Transnational Crime and Technology at the RSO, served as the moderator. The dialogue brought together stakeholders from a range of sectors, including security, research, and policy-making.
The keynote address was delivered by the Chief of National Intelligence (CNI), Major General Ruwan Wanigasooriya (Retd). Notable participants included Colonel Nalin Herath RSP, the Overlooking Director General and the Acting Director (Research) at the Institute of National Security Studies (INSS). He was accompanied by the full INSS research team, emphasizing the growing awareness of cyber-enabled trafficking as a critical issue for both national and regional security.
The seminar addressed the rising exploitation of digital platforms and deceptive recruitment practices by criminal networks to traffic individuals into cyber-scam operations. This emerging threat poses a particular risk to vulnerable communities within the Asia-Pacific region.
