Interior foils liquor smuggling attempt

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior announced Tuesday it had foiled an attempt to smuggle a quantity of imported liquor into the country and arrested two Asian nationals involved in the case. The operation was carried out in coordination with the General Administration of Customs as part of ongoing efforts to combat the smuggling of prohibited substances.

In a press statement, the ministry said the incident began when customs officers at Shuaiba Port became suspicious of a container arriving from a Gulf country. Although the container was declared as empty, a meticulous inspection uncovered hidden compartments in the floor containing professionally packaged bottles of liquor. Following the discovery, coordination was made with the General Department for Drug Control (GDDC), which monitored the case closely.

The container was allowed to proceed under strict surveillance until it reached a warehouse in the Ahmadi area, where two Asian nationals were arrested as they attempted to receive the shipment. Initial investigations revealed that the suspects had received instructions from an individual residing in an Asian country to receive and distribute the smuggled alcohol. The Ministry of Interior, represented by the GDDC and in cooperation with customs authorities, affirmed that efforts are ongoing to thwart all forms of smuggling in order to safeguard the nation’s security and social fabric. — KUNA