Iqama scam: Kuwait busts human trafficking ring

Cairo: Kuwait has said it arrested a four-member gang accused of human trafficking and facilitating expatriates' access to obtain the residency permit or iqama in return for money, the latest such case uncovered in the country.

A Kuwaiti man, two Egyptian expats and a Chinese national were involved in the illegal business by bringing in foreign workers on the sponsorship register of Kuwaitis in return for fees ranging from KD500 ($1,619) to 1,200 per person, the Interior Ministry said.

Investigations revealed the involvement of 20 companies with more than 232 workers illegally registered through them.

Under a new residency law enforced earlier this year in Kuwait, human trafficking is punishable by three to five years in prison and a maximum fine of KD10,000.

The fine is multiplied by the number of violations. The penalty doubles if the perpetrator is a civil servant, who exploited his job to commit the crime.

Last month, a Kuwaiti court handed down varying jail terms to 13 defendants on charges of human trafficking, prostitution and money laundering. The case was linked with running massage parlours.

The defendants include a Kuwaiti citizen and 12 expatriates.

The Criminal Court sentenced the Kuwaiti man to seven years in prison and a fine of KD7,000. The 12 expats were sentenced to five years in jail each and will be deported from the country after serving their terms.

The defendants comprise the Kuwaiti, who owned the parlours, an Egyptian employee and 11 Asians. They were arrested and accused of involvement in human trafficking, prostitution and money laundering.

In recent months, Kuwait has stepped up a crackdown on human trafficking and announced dismantling several gangs peddling in iqamas in exchange for money.

In December, security authorities said they busted 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 per worker by placing them under a company’s sponsorship.

Investigations revealed that the company implicated in the illegal business had 119 such workers on its sponsorship register. Police arrested both suspects and others accused of offering them facilities.