Colombo, March 13  - The Department of Immigration and Emigration took 21 young Indian nationals into custody yesterday for operating at an online marketing centre in Negombo by violating their tourist visa conditions.   

The department’s investigation division officials following a preliminary inquiry had raided a rented house in Negombo, which had been converted into an office space with computers and other devices installed.   

A senior immigration official told the Daily Mirror the male foreigners aged between 24 to 25 years had arrived in Sri Lanka in February and March on tourist visas.   

The group had used the free-of-charge visa condition granted to a set of countries till March 31st as part of an ongoing pilot project to promote tourism.   

The official however said that under the law those who visit Sri Lanka on tourist visas are prohibited to engage in any kind of paid or unpaid work.   

The arrested Indian nationals had been transferred to the department’s detention centre in Welisara on the instruction of the Immigration and Emigration Controller General Harsha Illukpitiya.