KUWAIT CITY, May 6 — The Criminal Court has sentenced four individuals to life imprisonment in connection with a major drug trafficking case, including an inspector from the General Administration of Customs, a board member of a cooperative society, and a Kuwaiti citizen who has fled to the United Kingdom. Two additional defendants were sentenced to 15 and 17 years in prison, respectively, for their involvement in smuggling approximately 60 kilograms of hashish, marijuana, and psychotropic substances from London to Kuwait through bribery and collusion. The estimated street value of the drugs is KD 750,000.

The court also imposed fines of KD 10,000 each on five of the defendants, while a sixth was fined KD 1,000. All were convicted of trafficking in narcotic substances, smuggling prohibited items into the country, and evading customs duties in violation of Kuwaiti law.

The case centered on a Customs inspector accused of accepting a bribe totaling KD 30,000 in July 2024 to allow three large bags to pass through Kuwait International Airport without inspection. He reportedly agreed to receive KD 10,000 for each bag.

The suspects were arrested following a tip-off received by the Anti-Narcotics Department. The smuggled bags were later discovered hidden inside a camel stable in the Al-Hajan area.