Foreign job seekers cautioned:

Beware of bogus job agents

by Ananda KANNANGARA

The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has cautioned would-be overseas job seekers to be vigilant over bogus foreign employment agencies which operate in many parts of the country.

A spokesman for the Bureau said that 112 persons including women job agents who operated 84 illegal recruiting agencies in Colombo, Kandy, Kurunegala, Galle and in the Uva Province during the past five weeks were taken in for questioning by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), set up by the SLBFE.

The SIU manned by 10-15 investigating officers have been given maximum powers under a Special Act to crack down on illegally operated job agencies in the country and institute legal action with the help of police stations in the area. SLBFE Chairman Kingsley Ranawaka told the Sunday Observer that complaints regarding fake job agencies are being received by the Bureau from people and approved foreign job recruiting agencies.

He said errant job agents will be fined Rs. 20,000 - Rs. 100,000 in court and a prison term of 12 - 24 months will be imposed. Ranawaka also cautioned foreign job seekers to keep a close eye on illegal job agencies and also those who deceive people by collecting colossal sums of money promising foreign employment opportunities.

It is reported that a person at Kesbawa in Piliyandala had obtained a large sum of money from young girls and boys promising foreign jobs.