KUWAIT CITY, May 19, (KUNA): The Interior Ministry foiled bid to smuggle Wednesday a shipment of 500 bottles of imported liquor brought in through a land port cleverly hidden in hollowed paper rolls.
A ministry statement indicated that Customs personnel uncovered the smuggling attempt, under the guidance of Director Maj Gen Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Khalifah Al-Sabah and in coordination with Assistant Director Brigadier Saleh Al-Ghannam.
The statement pointed out that a team of Customs officers was formed upon receipt of a tip off on the attempt, and the shipment was monitored upon its passing the Customs area and inspected later on.
Investigations are ongoing to ascertain those responsible for the smuggling attempt, the ministry said.
The Kuwaiti Customs had recently managed to uncover several smuggling attempts involving drugs of different types as well as alcohol.

Screams save Filipina: A Filipino expatriate in her 20s filed a case at the Farwaniya police station against two persons who alighted from a car and tried to kidnap her, while she was walking by the road. The woman added the suspects fled the scene when she screamed for help. She provided the officers with their description and registration number of their car, and the case was registered.

Eight fire officers, worker suffocate in sponge factory blaze : Eight fire officers and a worker suffocated when fire engulfed a 2000 square/meter area of a sponge factory at the Shuaiba Industrial Area. Three of the victims were referred to the Adan Hospital for treatment, and the rest were treated on the spot by paramedics. Acting on information received by the Operations Room of the Interior Ministry about the incident, six fire teams joined forces and managed to extinguish the inferno in less than 45 minutes, and prevented it from spreading to neighboring structures. High ranking officials were present at the scene to supervise the operation.
The Director of Public Relations at the Fire Service Department Lieutenant Colonel Khaleel noted the factory harbored chemical substances, and more than 70 firefighters participated in the operation, with four ambulances on standby.

Worker assaulted: An Asian expatriate filed a case with officers in Andalous police station and reported two brothers who assaulted him inside the house he was working, after a minor disagreement. The complainant backed his claim with a medical report which showed bruises and other injuries he sustained during the assault. The case was registered for investigation.

Loan still unreturned: Kuwaiti man in his 40s lodged a complaint at the Abdullah Mubarak Police Station Tuesday against a compatriot who allegedly cheated him of KD 4,000.
The Kuwaiti narrated that he lent the money to the accused, and he should have paid back a month ago, but he declined to fulfill the obligation.
According to security sources, the man has tried to call the accused on several occasions, but his mobile phone has been switched off, while efforts to reach him through friends have proven futile. Police have since collected data of the accused to summon him for investigation. 

Egyptian mugged: A 38-year old Egyptian expatriate filed a case against four people who robbed him of KD 190, bank cards and a mobile phone at knife point.
Security sources said the victim was walking by the road at night time when he saw the suspects alighting from a car, and then three of them approached him and ordered that he give them his mobile phone and wallet, which contained the bank cards.
He provided police with description of the suspects for investigation and their subsequent arrests. The case was registered.