Kuwait Ministry of Interior thwarts major drug smuggling operation.

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 2:  In a major security breakthrough, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) announced Wednesday the successful thwarting of an attempt to smuggle approximately two million Captagon pills concealed in a container arriving from an Arab country.

The narcotics, weighing around 364 kilograms and with an estimated street value of 5.5 million Kuwaiti Dinars, were ingeniously hidden within the edges of glass panels loaded inside a 20-foot container that entered Shuwaikh Port. The operation was executed in close coordination with the Ministry of Interior, following a confidential tip-off from the General Department of Criminal Investigation.

Upon receiving the intelligence, a comprehensive joint security plan was swiftly activated. Officers from the Hawalli Governorate Investigation Department, under the Criminal Security Sector, collaborated with Customs to monitor the container’s movement from the port. Undercover agents were deployed inside the truck, trailing it until it reached the Amghara area, where authorities intercepted it.

The coordinated effort led to the arrest of five suspects, including the main perpetrator. All individuals involved, along with the confiscated contraband, were referred to the competent authorities to face legal action.

In its press statement, the GAC emphasized that all necessary legal procedures were followed and reaffirmed its commitment to combating smuggling in all its forms. It praised the high level of cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, noting that the operation reflects the unity and integration of Kuwait’s security apparatus in defending the country’s safety and stability.

The General Department of Criminal Investigation also underscored the significance of the operation, stating it was a clear demonstration of the state’s resolve to protect society from the threat of drugs and psychotropic substances and to deter any attempts to undermine national security.

This latest bust reinforces Kuwait’s ongoing strategy to safeguard its borders and society through proactive, intelligence-led enforcement and seamless inter-agency cooperation.

Kuwait Customs thwarts attempt to smuggle approximately two million Captagon pills hidden in a glass-panel container from an Arab country.

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 1: A detention renewal judge ordered the continued detention of a Kuwaiti company owner, several expatriates, including Egyptians and a Palestinian, and a supervisor and acting manager at the Public Authority for Manpower, all of whom are involved in one of the largest residency trafficking cases in the country. The Public Prosecution accused them of issuing fake licenses to recruit 382 workers under the names of 28 non-existent companies, charging between KD 800 and 1,000 per worker. Investigations revealed that some employees at the Public Authority for Manpower accepted bribes of KD 200 to 250 per worker to facilitate issuing these licenses.

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

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 1: The Criminal Court fined a citizen, identified only as “A. M.”, KD 10,000 for insulting a segment of society. The Public Prosecution charged the defendant with insulting a segment of Kuwaiti society through a video clip that went viral on social media. The defendant denied the charges. Also, the Criminal Court imposed a fine of KD 50,000 on Dr. Abdul Mutalib Behbehani for inciting sectarian strife through posts he uploaded on his X account that contained statements the court deemed likely to undermine national unity and harm the social fabric. The Misdemeanor Court of Cassation overturned the verdict issued by the Misdemeanor Court of Appeal, which sentenced two brothers to two years in prison with hard labor on charges of alcohol trafficking. The ruling was deemed invalid because the Court of Appeal adjudicated the case directly without referring it back to the Court of First Instance, violating the principle of two-stage litigation. The Misdemeanor Court initially ruled that it lacked subject-matter jurisdiction over the misdemeanor of alcohol trafficking and referred the case to the Criminal Court, considering it a case of recidivism. However, the Court of Appeal ruled that it had jurisdiction and proceeded to hear the case, ultimately issuing the prison sentence.

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