Kuwait busts human trafficking ring, arrests suspects and facilitators
Duo accused of illegally bringing expats to the country in return for cash
Cairo: Kuwait has said it dismantled a ring involved in human trafficking by illegally bringing to the country workers in exchange for money.
The Interior Ministry said the racket run by a Kuwaiti man and a Pakistani national had obtained KD500 ($1,626) per worker by placing them under a company's sponsorship.
Investigations revealed that the company implicated in the illegal business has 119 such workers on its sponsorship register. Police arrested both suspects and others accused of offering them facilities.
"They were referred to competent agencies to take the necessary legal pro-cedures against them," the ministry added in a statement.
Also read
- Kuwait: Two Saudis sentenced to 7 years for impersonating missing Kuwaiti since 1995
- Kuwait: Woman fined for inciting man to debauchery and immorality on social media
- Kuwait detains nine, including three nationals, in false drug case plot against expat
- Kuwait: Expat nabbed over decades-old citizenship fraud
The ministry vowed firm action against human trafficking and illegal facilitation of obtaining residency permits or iqamas in return for money.
In recent months, Kuwait announced dismantling several rings peddling in iqamas in exchange for money amid a relentless crackdown in the country on illegal residents.
Last week, the Interior Ministry said it had uncovered and arrested a ring involved in forging official documents and trafficking in residency permits in return for money.
The gang was composed of a Kuwaiti citizen, who is a company owner, and a Syrian national.
The accused illegally transferred the iqamas of workers residing in the coun-try to the registration of the company in return for sums of money ranging between KD300 to 500 per labourer.
Police found out that the total number of workers unlawfully registered un-der the sponsorship of the companies owned by the Kuwaiti citizen reached 600.
In October, Kuwaiti authorities said they had dismantled an expatriate gang accused of illegally trafficking in iqamas.
The ring comprised Syrian, Egyptian and Asian nationals.
In August, the Interior Ministry announced busting two rackets and arrest-ing their members implicated in trading in iqamas via fake companies.
The ministry also announced deporting more than 21,000 foreigners for vi-olating the country's residency and labour laws in nine months of this year.