KUWAIT CITY, July 15: Kuwait’s General Administration of Customs foiled an attempt to smuggle a large quantity of cigarettes concealed innovatively inside specially made flour bags at the Al-Salmi border crossing.

The incident unfolded when a Saudi national driving a vehicle was undergoing departure procedures. A customs officer grew suspicious of several bags that appeared to contain flour. Upon closer inspection, officials discovered that the bags had been expertly modified to conceal 22 packs of cigarettes in tightly sealed, hard-to-detect compartments.

Authorities seized the contraband and filed an official report. The case has been referred to the General Department of Criminal Investigations for further inquiry and to pursue those responsible for preparing the concealed shipment.

Customs authorities reaffirmed their ongoing commitment to combating all forms of smuggling, enhancing detection techniques, and taking firm action against anyone attempting to bring in prohibited items.

KUWAIT CITY, July 14: The Court of Cassation, presided over by Counselor Abdullah Jassim Al-Abdullah, upheld the Court of Appeal’s decision sentencing an expatriate employee to seven years in prison with hard labor. The employee, who worked for a company, was found guilty of embezzling KWD 29,000 through forged entry tickets. In addition to the prison sentence, he was dismissed from his job, fined KWD 89,000—which is double the embezzled amount—and ordered to repay the stolen sum.

KUWAIT CITY, July 14: The Court of Appeal overturned the prison sentence against journalist Fajr Al-Saeed and refrained from imposing any penalty, on the condition that she pay a bail of 1,000 dinars for good behavior.

Previously, the Criminal Court had sentenced Al-Saeed to three years in prison with hard labor for charges of spreading false news and misuse of a telephone, while acquitting her of the other charges.

The Public Prosecution had ordered her imprisonment and referral to the Central Prison after accusing her of broadcasting false news, misusing a telephone, calling for normalization with the Israeli occupation, and harming the country’s interests.

Her lawyer, Dr. Faisal Ayal Al-Anzi, argued that the law cited did not apply to the accusations against her and that her actions did not constitute a crime.