KUWAIT CITY, May 22: In an explosive extension of a previously uncovered nationality fraud case, Kuwaiti authorities have exposed a massive forgery scheme involving a man born in the 1950s who fraudulently obtained citizenship and amassed a staggering 142 affiliations under his name—including 40 registered children from four wives, many of whom were later revealed to be unrelated individuals fraudulently registered as his offspring.

Sources stated that the case is directly linked to an earlier forgery network and centers on a forger who had 16 biological children but also 20 unrelated individuals falsely documented as his. The man fled Kuwait illegally after the Nationality Investigations Department summoned members of his circle for questioning and DNA testing. He was aided by a relative employed at a government agency who bypassed a travel ban and facilitated his escape. The employee has since been arrested and is in custody pending investigation.

Authorities believe the forger’s escape was a deliberate attempt to avoid genetic fingerprinting, which would have revealed discrepancies. His disappearance, however, did not prevent the investigation from moving forward. Four of his supposed children had already been matched through DNA testing in a 2017 forgery case involving a falsely claimed grandfather, tests that definitively proved no genetic relationship and confirmed the forgery.

A new twist emerged when officials received a tip-off about a Gulf national preparing to leave Kuwait. A vigilant passport officer, suspicious of the traveler’s documentation, took the unusual step of capturing biometric fingerprints before departure. The prints revealed that the man was registered in Kuwait under the forged file as one of the fugitive’s sons. However, DNA tests conducted with the supposed brothers proved he was not related to them or the fugitive.

Confronted with the evidence, the man confessed to paying KD 35,000 through his real Gulf-national father to the forger, in exchange for being added to the fraudulent Kuwaiti file to enjoy citizenship privileges. Further investigations revealed he had exploited the forged identity to its fullest, securing maximum-limit loans, mobile contracts, and other financial benefits, with the apparent intent to flee the country financially enriched.

Thanks to the alertness of the passport officer and biometric verification, his plan was foiled. He has since been referred to the Public Prosecution on charges of forgery and obtaining nationality by fraudulent means.

The case underscores the scale and sophistication of identity fraud networks and highlights the effectiveness of biometric systems and inter-agency cooperation in dismantling them. Further prosecutions are expected as investigations widen.