Kuwaiti fugitive caught in Dubai after years on the run
The man had been sentenced in absentia to seven years in prison with hard labour
Dubai: A Kuwaiti fugitive convicted in a public funds embezzlement and forgery case has been arrested in Dubai following a joint security operation coordinated between Kuwait and the UAE, Kuwaiti authorities said on Friday.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior said the arrest was carried out through close cooperation between the two countries’ criminal investigation authorities, including direct coordination between the Kuwaiti branch of Interpol and its Emirati counterpart.
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The man had been sentenced in absentia to seven years in prison with hard labour after being convicted of forging official documents and illegally obtaining public funds.
Prosecutors said the case was tied to a wider investigation led by Kuwait’s Public Prosecution Office for financial crimes.
According to the ministry, the suspect had previously worked as a public representative and legal adviser for a cooperative society in Kuwait.
Between 2012 and 2018, he allegedly manipulated advertising permits falsely attributed to Kuwait Municipality.
Investigators said the scheme involved altering financial figures listed on official documents after the legitimate fees had already been paid electronically.
The forged documents were then allegedly submitted to his employer, allowing him to unlawfully pocket the financial differences.
Authorities said the arrest followed an extended security operation involving surveillance, intelligence-sharing and coordinated investigations between Kuwaiti and Emirati officials, eventually leading to the identification of the suspect’s location in Dubai.
The suspect has since been taken into custody and legal procedures are under way ahead of his extradition to Kuwait to serve the sentence issued against him.
Kuwait’s Interior Ministry praised the “high level” of security coordination with the UAE, saying the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of Arab security partnerships in pursuing fugitives and combating corruption-related crimes.
The ministry added that security agencies would continue to pursue individuals involved in offences linked to public funds and abuse of official positions, stressing that protecting state resources and upholding the rule of law remained a priority.
