COLOMBO, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan criminal investigators have identified a shell company allegedly used to siphon 2.5 million U.S. dollars from national treasury funds, law enforcement authorities announced on Monday.
The stolen funds were transferred to multiple bank accounts in two different states in the United States after the theft. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) said that the funds were routed through a third-party entity called "Biz Solutions," an online business registration firm registered in the state of Delaware, the United States.
The company was found to have maintained four accounts at a branch of TD Bank. Investigators found most accounts were emptied, with one retaining roughly 200 U.S. dollars.
The massive cyber theft was brought to attention in April. Hackers breached the Department of External Resources, hijacking official email channels to intercept and redirect funds from a bilateral debt repayment owed to Australia, authorities said. Four of six payment vouchers intended for Australian authorities were diverted to the fraudsters, CID said.
The CID has enlisted both the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Australian Federal Police to identify individuals behind the scheme. ■