KUWAIT CITY, May 1: Kuwait’s Nationality Investigation Department has uncovered one of the largest citizenship fraud cases in its history. The fraudulent case involves the illegal registration of 96 individuals under a forged family file, prompting authorities to revoke all associated nationalities.

According to sources familiar with the investigation, the case centers around a man who falsely claimed to be the biological son of an elderly Kuwaiti man. The fraudster, whose identity remains undisclosed, later admitted that only 16 of the 96 individuals registered under his file were his actual children, while the rest had no legitimate family ties.

The breakthrough came from a DNA sample collected in 2017 from the elderly man, now deceased, whose name was fraudulently used in the file. Preserved in the forensic archives, this genetic evidence became crucial in confirming that the so-called descendants were not biologically related to him.

Further investigations revealed that one of the key figures in the case, who had fraudulently added himself as a son to the original file, fled the country after being summoned by authorities. Despite his absence, several of his alleged sons were arrested. When their DNA was compared to the grandfather's preserved sample, the results confirmed no biological connection.

Authorities also discovered that the fugitive had not only forged his own identity but had also falsely registered 34 individuals as his children. When extended to include supposed grandchildren, the fraudulent family file ballooned to 96 names—an unprecedented number in Kuwait’s citizenship fraud cases. This case has raised concerns about systemic vulnerabilities in Kuwait’s nationality registration process and is expected to lead to tighter controls and scrutiny in future applications.