Syrian Expat’s Nervous Behavior Leads Kuwait Police to $7,000 in Fake Dollars in Salmiya

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 27: What began as a routine patrol in Salmiya took an unexpected turn when police officers became suspicious of a driver’s unusually nervous behavior — a reaction that ultimately led them to uncover $7,000 in counterfeit US currency.

According to a security source cited by Al-Anbaa, a patrol from Salmiya Police Station was passing through the area when officers stopped alongside a vehicle at a traffic light. One of the officers noticed that the driver appeared extremely anxious, repeatedly watching the traffic signal and seemingly eager for it to turn green.

The driver’s behavior immediately caught the officers’ attention. When they activated the patrol lights and instructed him to pull over, he initially appeared to ignore the order. The officers then used the patrol’s loudspeaker, identifying the vehicle by its type, color and registration number, prompting the driver to stop.

His nervousness reportedly increased when officers asked him to present his identification documents.

The driver, a Syrian expatriate in his 30s, was asked to step out of the vehicle. As a precaution, officers searched the car and noticed an envelope concealed beneath the seat.

When they opened the envelope, they found a quantity of US dollar banknotes. The driver acknowledged that the money belonged to him, but an examination indicated that the $7,000 was counterfeit.

The incident was immediately reported to the Director of Security for Hawalli Governorate, who ordered that the suspect and the seized currency be referred to the Counterfeiting and Forgery Crimes Department for further investigation.

Detectives are now working to determine where the counterfeit currency came from and whether the suspect was involved in a wider operation. Authorities are also taking steps to search his residence for any additional counterfeit money or equipment that may have been used in its production.

The case remains under investigation, with the necessary legal procedures being taken against the suspect.