Kuwait prison officer caught smuggling drug-soaked papers to inmate

Dubai: A prison officer in Kuwait has been arrested and referred to prosecutors after allegedly attempting to smuggle narcotics into the Central Prison, exploiting his security position.

According to prison authorities, the officer was stopped after raising suspicion at a security checkpoint when guards noticed he was sweating heavily and appeared visibly anxious. 

A search uncovered nine sheets of paper soaked with a chemical substance, hidden in a sensitive part of his body. 

Investigators said the officer admitted the papers were handed to him by an unidentified individual waiting outside the prison, and that the delivery was arranged by an inmate who promised him a financial reward.

The Central Prison Administration has referred the case to the Public Prosecution, stressing the seriousness of the crime. 

Authorities noted that draft legislation introduced by the Ministry of Interior imposes severe penalties on officials who abuse their positions to traffic drugs, including the death penalty for those caught smuggling narcotics or psychotropic substances into correctional facilities.

The law also extends capital punishment to cases where drugs are distributed to multiple individuals for use or promotion, or where smugglers solicit benefits or services in return for delivery, even on the basis of a promise. 

Beyond enforcement inside prisons, the amendments call for mandatory drug testing for those applying for marriage licenses, driving permits, or government jobs, to curb narcotics use and trafficking in the country.