KUWAIT CITY, Dec 5: In the dim corridors of Kuwait’s Nationality Investigations Department, a decades-old secret has finally begun to unravel — a deception buried since 1977, now dragged into the light by a single whisper from a private source.

What began as a routine review of files quickly morphed into one of the most astonishing cases of identity manipulation the department has seen in nearly half a century. The man at the center of the storm (a naturalized citizen (From Stateless to Kuwaiti) who obtained Kuwaiti nationality under the prestigious “distinguished service” clause) had long lived under a veil of legitimacy. But investigators now say his story was built on a foundation of quiet deceit.

At the time of his naturalization, he registered his children in the usual manner. But hidden among them was one name that did not belong — a girl he claimed was his daughter. In truth, she was his sister. And not the only one.

According to confidential sources, the man had two other sisters living in Kuwait, both holding Syrian nationality — a fact he failed to disclose while securing Kuwaiti citizenship under Bedoun status. The trio’s presence, their shared history, and a suspicious whisper set off alarm bells.

Investigators moved swiftly. The three women — the two known Syrian sisters and the woman registered as the man’s “daughter” — were brought in for DNA fingerprinting. The results struck like a thunderclap: the tests confirmed they were full biological sisters. The deception, carefully crafted, was beginning to crack.

But the probe did not stop there.

To eliminate any doubt, authorities collected DNA samples from the man’s children. The findings were irrefutable: the woman listed as their “sister” had no biological relation to them. She was, once again, proven to be nothing more — and nothing less — than their aunt.

What started as a single fraudulent registration now threatened to topple the man’s entire legal foundation in Kuwait. Investigators uncovered that he had secured citizenship by presenting himself as a desert-born Bedouin, while omitting that he held Syrian nationality — a critical omission that rendered his naturalization invalid.

And with that revelation, the fallout expanded dramatically.

The false daughter’s citizenship stands on the brink of withdrawal. The man’s own nationality, granted 48 years ago, is also poised for revocation. Yet the consequences stretch even further: 62 individuals (children, grandchildren, and even a naturalized wife) are tied to the same file, now under sweeping review.

A single lie in 1977 has echoed across generations. And as authorities continue their exhaustive audit, one question looms over the entire affair:

How many more stories like this still lie, undisturbed, in the dusty archives of the past?