KUWAIT CITY, July 14: The Embassy of the Russian Foundation in the State of Kuwait has vehemently denied reports on the ‘Russian gang’ arrested for stealing jewelry and other valuable items from grand villas and jewelry shops in the country.
In a statement to the Arab Times Thursday, the embassy said there was no Russian arrested for involvement in the series of burglaries, adding those who are currently in police custody include three Armenians, identified as Nazeli Vopyan, Garush Marutyan and Nikavelyan, and Svitlana Sheremet, Ukrainian.
It was earlier reported that the Criminal Evidences Department of the Interior Ministry had arrested a six-member Russian gang which specialized in stealing jewelry and valuables from grand villas and jewelry shops in the country.
The gang, is said to include two women, and has reportedly stolen gold worth over KD 1 million over the last four years. Its modus operandi included visiting Kuwait on visit visas during summers, breaking into the villas of the wealthy persons and leaving the country with the loot. The head of the gang, however, has yet to be arrested.

A security source said officials noticed that thefts at villas in the Capital and Hawalli governorates had increased and the thieves were using advanced methods to open safes.
The source added when money and gold worth KD 200,000 was stolen over the last two months, securitymen intensified their efforts and managed to arrest a Russian national of Armenian origin who was involved in a case in 2007.
During interrogations, he admitted that he was part of a gang and visited Kuwait with the others every year on a commercial visit visa sponsored by a hotel.
He also confessed his wife was on her way to the airport with the stolen gold and forged passports. Securitymen arrested the woman and during interrogation, the couple gave details of four other members of their gang, including a woman.
All of them are believed to be of Armenian origin. They were involved in a theft case a couple of years ago. The members said they smuggle jewelry out of the country and hand it over to the seventh accused, who is still at large.