KUWAIT CITY, Aug 27: In a stunning revelation, the Kuwait Nationality Investigation Department has exposed a major forgery scandal involving a Kuwaiti citizen whose entire nationality file turned out to be fraudulent — including his own.

Investigations revealed that the man, already burdened with a criminal record, had manipulated his citizenship file in the aftermath of the Iraqi invasion by falsely adding two Syrian nationals as his sons. Their fraud was uncovered in 2019, leading to the revocation of their citizenship and referral to the Public Prosecution.

But the deception ran deeper. The same citizen, who fled Kuwait and remains a fugitive, was convicted in absentia and sentenced to seven years in prison. When investigators summoned his remaining sons for DNA testing, none appeared voluntarily. A manhunt ensued, resulting in the arrest of five of them. DNA analysis confirmed they were indeed brothers — but also revealed their father’s secrets ran far darker.

To untangle the web, authorities compared the genetic fingerprints of the five sons with those of their so-called “uncles” — the siblings of their fugitive father, according to official citizenship records. The results were damning: no genetic link existed. The supposed uncles were strangers, proving beyond doubt that the fugitive’s own nationality was forged, and his sons were fraudulently registered by association.

With the two Syrians already revoked and the five sons exposed, investigators widened their probe, uncovering a staggering 36 individuals tied to the fraudulent file. All were referred to the Supreme Committee for Citizenship, which has now moved to strip their Kuwaiti nationality based on irrefutable evidence.

This case, officials say, is one of the most brazen examples yet of how forged files can create generations of false citizens — a deception meticulously crafted, but ultimately shattered by DNA evidence and relentless investigation.