KUWAIT CITY, Aug 1: Kuwaiti authorities have smashed a highly organised forgery ring accused of producing fake documents to help individuals illegally obtain European visas under the guise of asylum seekers.

The dramatic bust, carried out by the Residency Investigations Department under the Ministry of Interior, comes on the heels of high-level security cooperation between Kuwait and Egypt—spearheaded by First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahd Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, who had recently visited Cairo to bolster intelligence ties.

According to investigators, the gang led by Egyptian national Emad Sameh, currently a fugitive who is abroad and specialised in forging official Kuwaiti paperwork, including altered work permits, inflated salary certificates, fake professions on civil ID cards, and bank statements bearing counterfeit stamps. These forged documents were tailor-made to deceive European embassies, particularly for obtaining Schengen visas under false asylum claims.

Authorities say Emad’s brother, Milad Sameh, also known by the alias Abanoub, played a key role in executing the forgeries inside Kuwait, alongside fellow Egyptian accomplices Daniel Marcos and Maher Al-Ayoubi. Their duties ranged from faking embassy appointment bookings to fabricating visa application files.

Another individual, a Lebanese national identified only by his initials, AIT PO, was allegedly responsible for managing embassy communications, including forwarding reservation receipts to fast-track visa processes.

The entire operation was reportedly coordinated from outside Kuwait, with instructions being relayed to Egypt. Officials confirm they are now working closely with Egyptian security forces to track down Emad and initiate legal action.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior has urged residents and foreign workers to avoid suspicious visa agents and report any fraudulent activity through official government channels.

KUWAIT CITY, July 31: Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior has launched a sweeping traffic and security crackdown on major roads and highways, resulting in dozens of arrests and nearly a thousand traffic violations issued in a single morning. The early Thursday operation, led by the Traffic and Operations Sector in coordination with the General Traffic Department, Emergency Police, and Private Security Affairs,  was carried out under direct orders from First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef.

The campaign aims to tighten enforcement of traffic, labor, and residency laws nationwide. Authorities revealed that the operation led to 934 traffic citations, while 13 individuals were arrested for violating residency and labor laws. Additionally, six people were taken into custody for failing to present valid proof of residence, and nine suspects wanted for various offenses were captured.

In a separate sting, three juveniles were caught behind the wheel without a driver’s license, and one individual was arrested for being in an “abnormal state.” Another two were apprehended for possessing suspected drugs and alcohol, while one fugitive wanted for absconding and another placed under precautionary detention were also taken in.

The Ministry stressed that such security campaigns will continue across Kuwait with full force and urged the public to cooperate with law enforcement and report any violations to help maintain the safety and stability of the country.

KUWAIT CITY, July 31: The Criminal Court, headed by Counselor Abdulwahab Al-Muaili, sentenced a well-known Saudi poet to life imprisonment for forging Kuwaiti citizenship and embezzling public funds. The court also imposed a fine of KD1,793,000 and ordered him to return the money he obtained unlawfully. Investigations revealed that the accused obtained Kuwaiti citizenship in 1995, at the age of 34. After being added to the file of a deceased Kuwaiti citizen, he changed his name, renounced his Saudi citizenship, and obtained a birth certificate dated 1972, although he was born 11 years earlier. The decision to withdraw citizenship included his 27 children (male and female), because their nationality is linked to his forged citizenship; the case documents showed that the accused left Kuwait in 2016, and his citizenship was withdrawn in June 2024.

By Jaber Al-Hamoud
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff