KUWAIT CITY, May 22: In a high-profile case of forged nationality, informed sources have revealed that three brothers—one of whom obtained Kuwaiti citizenship under false pretenses are at the center of a large-scale fraud investigation that has exposed decades-old manipulation of the naturalization system.

According to investigative findings, the eldest brother, originally of Syrian descent, was granted Kuwaiti citizenship in the 1960s under Article 1 of the Nationality Law by submitting a falsified birth date. Though he was born in the 1950s, he claimed to be born in the 1940s to meet the age requirement for naturalization. He later secured a job in Kuwait’s oil sector, built a life, and raised a family. However, once investigators uncovered his fraudulent background, he fled the country in November last year with his wife and one of his children, after selling his house and liquidating his assets.

Investigators traced his extended family to Syria, where DNA samples taken from his cousins confirmed, via matching Y-chromosome profiles, that they shared a common male ancestor with the fugitive’s children. This provided scientific validation of the familial ties and bolstered the case against him. Notably, such genetic evidence was previously not accepted in such cases, but a report from the State Security Department corroborated the findings of the Nationality Investigations Department, offering additional proof of identity fraud.

Further digging revealed that his second brother had also acquired Kuwaiti citizenship under the “noble deeds” clause in 1976, based on letters of recommendation describing him as a philanthropist. He too had worked in the oil sector and is now deceased. A handwritten statement found in his file confirmed that he and the first brother were siblings, both originating from the village of Al-Hasrat in Al-Bukamal, Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria.

A third brother, also living in Kuwait, had applied for citizenship alongside his siblings in 1976 but was denied. He later applied again through a separate committee but remained stateless (Bedoun). The case against all three was solidified with documentary evidence, genetic testing, and the signed acknowledgment from the second brother that they were, indeed, brothers, confirming the fraudulent citizenship status of at least two of them.

Authorities say the fugitive brother, who obtained citizenship via Article 1, has an estimated 50 dependents or followers, while the second brother, now deceased, had 77 followers.

In a further twist, it was revealed that the son of the first forger (a high-ranking officer in the Kuwait military)had submitted a retirement request following the exposure of the case. That request was halted after it was discovered he had already left Kuwait and is believed to be in Britain.

The investigation highlights the complexities and long-term consequences of fraudulent naturalization and may lead to broader reviews of past citizenship cases.