KUWAIT CITY, Nov 21: In one of the largest forgery cases investigated by the Nationality Investigation Department, authorities have uncovered a massive network of fraudulent citizenships linked to a single individual who obtained Kuwaiti nationality in the 1960s. The investigation revealed a file containing 999 people, all connected to this individual, exposing widespread exploitation of citizenship benefits at a cost of tens of millions of dinars to the state.

According to informed sources, the case dates back to 1961 when a man named (S) applied to the Nationality Investigation Committee and successfully obtained Kuwaiti citizenship under Article One, following a formal interview and witness testimonies. His acquisition of citizenship at that time was legitimate. Six years later, in 1967, (S) attempted to naturalize another individual as his older brother. This person also obtained citizenship after presenting witnesses who claimed he was (S)’s brother.

Investigations have since revealed that the individual who obtained citizenship in 1967 was deceased and had made false statements during the process. He was married to four wives and registered 31 children in his citizenship file. DNA testing later confirmed that only 10 of these 31 were his biological children. Furthermore, these ten children held Gulf documents under names significantly different from their registered Kuwaiti names, indicating a history of forgery.

DNA testing also confirmed that the man who obtained citizenship in 1961—the supposed uncle—was neither their uncle nor their father’s brother. This conclusively proved that the citizenship obtained in 1967 was based on a false claim, and the alleged familial ties to the 1961 citizen were entirely fabricated.

The investigation revealed that four of the 31 children registered in the 1967 file were not biological children of the naturalized citizen at all. These four then continued the pattern of forgery, adding more individuals to their files, including Syrians and Gulf nationals, in order to take advantage of the privileges and benefits of Kuwaiti citizenship.

Specific cases among the four children include:

Authorities confirmed that the DNA evidence and investigations conclusively proved that these four individuals are not biological brothers of the ten children and that the citizen naturalized in 1961 is not their uncle. Consequently, the 1967 naturalization was obtained under pretenses and is invalid.

The case highlights the extent of large-scale exploitation of Kuwaiti citizenship, revealing how forgers have deprived real citizens of opportunities and benefits intended for them. The 999-person file includes 478 adults over 21 years old and 521 minors under 21. The average annual salary cost for the adults alone exceeds 4.5 million dinars, while educational expenses for all individuals are estimated at over 10 million dinars.

In addition to salaries and education, forgers have taken advantage of housing benefits, loans of up to 70,000 dinars, and other allowances, all funded by public resources. Authorities have emphasised that the case represents one of the most egregious examples of citizenship fraud in the country’s history.