Kuwait: 2 siblings working with customs authorities nabbed over drug complicity

Cairo: Kuwait’s anti-drug police have arrested two brothers working with the customs authorities over suspected involvement in smuggling of narcotics into the country, a Kuwaiti newspaper has reported.

Both suspects worked at Kuwait’s Al Salmi border crossing with Saudi Arabia.

They allegedly used to facilitate the smuggling of drugs while they were on duty at the crossing, Alseyassah reported, citing security sources.

Initially, the two suspects were put under police surveillance to verify tip-offs over alleged implication in drug smuggling.

“While on duty, the two brothers allowed in an amount of drugs without being inspected,” a source said.

After obtaining a permit from prosecutors, police raided the suspects’ house in Al Jahra governorate in north-western Kuwait.

Police found in their possession the smuggled amount of 12 kilograms of hashish, the source added. Both were referred to public prosecution, according to the report.

In recent months, Kuwait has thwarted several attempts of drug smuggling.

In February, the Kuwaiti customs authorities said they had thwarted seven attempts by air passengers to smuggle drugs and contraband in less than 12 hours.

The Kuwaiti General Administration of Customs added in a statement that the illicit stuff had been seized from an unspecified number of people from different nationalities upon arrival in the country.

That month, the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry also said the General Administration for Drug Control had arrested a man in the possession of 96 kg of hashish, 15 kg of drug Captagon powder, 20 grams of Shabu or methamphetamine, more than 1 million Captagon tablets and a processing device as well as three firearms.

The suspect admitted to having possessed the seizure for purposes of trafficking and personal use.

Earlier, Kuwait foiled an attempt to smuggle narcotics hidden inside live sheep reportedly coming by sea from Iran.

The elaborate technique marked a new level in smuggling attempts. The shipment was uncovered at Kuwait’s Kabd area where the smugglers were found to have concealed the drugs in the sheep’s entrails in a ploy to avoid detection.

The haul included 5 kg of crystal meth, a kg of hashish, and 20,000 drug pills.