The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has announced that formal complaints have been lodged with law enforcement agencies and relevant authorities over a cyber attack on the External Resources Department, which resulted in the theft of $2.5 million from state funds.
According to an official statement, the breach came to light following suspicious foreign currency transactions recorded in January 2026. The ministry promptly alerted the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SL-CERT) and the Computer Crime Investigation Division of the Sri Lanka Police.
Further investigations led to complaints being submitted to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
The ministry also confirmed that an initial internal inquiry has been completed. Based on its findings, several officials have already faced disciplinary action.
Officials emphasized that the ministry is fully cooperating with investigators and has shared all necessary information to assist ongoing inquiries. They added that further updates will be released at an appropriate time to avoid interfering with the investigative process.
The statement also noted that all actions are being carried out in line with existing agreements between Sri Lanka and relevant international partners.
