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Kuwait Airport Employee Cleared of Passport Forgery

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KUWAIT CITY, May 8: The Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling by the Criminal Court acquitting an employee at the Kuwait International Airport Passports Department, who had been accused of falsifying passenger entry and exit records in the Ministry of Interior’s automated system. The accusations stemmed from the escape of a wanted fugitive who allegedly used a passport resembling that of the employee.

The ruling, however, did include sentencing the fugitive (in absentia) and his lookalike to four years in prison with hard labor. The court also ordered their deportation after they completed their sentences.

The case dates back to July 2024 when a detective arrested a fugitive with a history of fraud charges. The fugitive, however, was nowhere to be found. Upon questioning the fugitive’s mother, it was revealed that he had left the country using a passport that closely resembled his lookalike’s.

During investigations, the lookalike admitted to lending his passport to the fugitive, who had a striking resemblance to him. The fugitive requested the passport in late 2023, and the lookalike handed it over, only to retrieve it a week after the fugitive’s departure. The lookalike also confirmed that he was aware of the fugitive’s criminal background, including his fraud charges.

The employee, however, denied any wrongdoing. He testified that he had properly documented the passport’s movement when the fugitive appeared before him, confirming the individual’s information before his departure. He claimed that he was unaware of any discrepancy and did not realize the passport was not the rightful owner’s due to the striking similarity between the two individuals.

In court, the employee’s defense attorney, Abdullah Al-Bulaihis, argued that there was no criminal intent behind his client’s actions, as the essential elements of the forgery crime were absent. He maintained that the employee had no prior knowledge of the fugitive and that there was no conclusive evidence linking him to any intentional alteration of the entry and exit records. Al-Bulaihis also presented a document proving that biometric fingerprint checks were not in place at Kuwait Airport during the incident and highlighted the similarities between the lookalike and the fugitive. He called for his client’s acquittal, which the court ultimately granted.

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Fuel Smuggling Operation Busted; 5 Kuwait Companies Under Investigation

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KUWAIT CITY, May 17: The Ministry of Interior announced on Saturday that, following directives from Acting Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef and in coordination with the General Administration of Customs, an attempt to smuggle petroleum products out of the country has been successfully thwarted.

In a joint statement, the Ministry of Interior and the General Administration of Customs revealed that five containers belonging to three companies were flagged for inspection. Upon examination, the containers were found to contain barrels filled with a suspicious substance.

Samples were collected and sent to specialized technical laboratories for analysis, which confirmed that some of the samples contained kerosene. Further investigations revealed that two additional companies—aside from the initial three—had exported materials that, according to the Environment Public Authority, were found to contain diesel fuel. The authorities confirmed that legal action is now underway, and investigations are ongoing. The case will be referred to the competent authorities upon completion.

The Ministry of Interior reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with all relevant agencies to combat violations of the law. It emphasized that the state’s resources are a red line and warned that the law will be enforced without exception. Companies and institutions were urged to strictly adhere to all applicable laws and regulations, with the ministry warning that any attempt to exploit or damage national resources will be met with firm and uncompromising action.

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Illegal, Expired Products Found at Health Institute in Kuwait

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KUWAIT CITY, May 17: The Ministry of Health has announced that the serious violations at a health institute in the southern part of Kuwait were uncovered during the recent inspection campaign conducted by the Drug Inspection Department, in cooperation with the Health Licensing Department and the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM). The ministry revealed that a suspicious advertisement was posted on a social media platform, promoting misleading medical information and unlicensed diagnostic and therapeutic activities, affirming that the inspection committee immediately took action and carried out a field campaign.

The ministry said the violations found during the campaign included operating the institute with expired health and commercial licenses, practicing medical and pharmaceutical activities without a license from the ministry, displaying and selling nutritional supplements and special foods without a license, trading in health products not registered with ministry, and violating the medical advertising regulations in the country.

It confirmed the implementation of immediate measures to ensure community safety; such as taking samples of unregistered products for analysis by the competent authorities, seizing violating products and referring them to the Drug Inspection Department, issuing reports on the observed violations, and contacting the relevant authorities in preparation for referring the file to the Public Prosecution. It then reaffirmed its commitment to implement the law and to continuously conduct inspection campaigns, calling on all health authorities to fully comply with the legal requirements and controls.

By Marwa Al-Bahrawi
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff

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Firefighters control apartment fire in Farwaniya

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Firefighters control apartment fire in Farwaniya

Kuwait firefighters successfully controlled an apartment fire in Farwaniya.

KUWAIT CITY, May 17: Firefighters from the Farwaniya and Subhan central districts successfully contained a fire in an apartment in a building in Farwaniya early Saturday morning.

The firefighting teams worked swiftly to control the flames and prevent the fire from spreading further. Fortunately, no significant injuries were reported in the incident.

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