KUWAIT CITY, Feb 15: The Ministry of Interior's forgery and counterfeiting department has dismantled a criminal gang involved in a two-year-long scheme of fraudulent commercial transactions. Two suspects were arrested at their homes in Hawally and Salmiya, while a third was apprehended at Kuwait International Airport before boarding a flight to his home country.

Investigations revealed that the three-member gang, all of Arab nationality, had rented a floor in a prominent Sharq tower and were routinely subletting office spaces to multiple companies. According to a security source, the unit received information about commercial offices being illegally sublet using the automated code system, prompting a swift probe.

The source explained that the gang had been charging 250 Kuwaiti dinars per office, exploiting inactive companies that required registered addresses to complete their formalities. Following the investigation, authorities quickly tracked the first two suspects, while the third suspect attempted to flee the country but was intercepted at the airport.

Searches of their residences yielded rental contracts and other evidence, and all three suspects confessed to the scheme. They were referred to the Public Prosecution and subsequently sent to the Central Prison on charges of forgery.

by John Fernandes
Online Media Manager
Arab Times