03/07/2025
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03/07/2025
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KUWAIT CITY, July 3: In a continued crackdown on nationality fraud, Kuwait’s Nationality Investigation Department has uncovered a new case involving three individuals falsely registered as Kuwaiti citizens, traced back to a 2017 forgery case that initially led to the arrest of a Syrian national.
From 2017 Arrest to 2024 Revelations
The original case dates back to 2017, when a Syrian national was arrested after being found to have fraudulently obtained Kuwaiti citizenship by falsely claiming kinship with a Kuwaiti citizen. Both men were prosecuted at the time.
According to informed sources, the Kuwaiti accomplice was arrested again in 2022 to serve a seven-year prison sentence. He is currently incarcerated at Kuwait's Central Prison.
Routine Review Uncovers Anomalies
As part of the Nationality Investigation Department’s standard protocol to re-examine all nationality files tied to forgery cases, officials conducted a DNA audit on individuals listed as the prisoner’s children. The goal was to verify their biological link and detect any potential additions made through fraudulent means.
Three Sons Not Biologically Related
The investigation revealed that DNA samples from three individuals listed as the man's sons (already on file due to prior legal interactions) had not previously been cross-verified. When matched against the imprisoned father’s DNA, none of the three were found to be biologically related to him.
Father Admits the Truth in Prison
Detectives visited the Central Prison to confront the man with the DNA evidence. When presented with the findings, he confessed: “The three are not my sons.” He explained that he had not previously disclosed this because investigators had never specifically questioned him about these individuals during earlier interrogations, so he chose to remain silent.
Suspects Fled Amid Crackdown
The three individuals were found to have fled Kuwait in 2024, a year which First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef notably described as “the year of the scam” due to a wave of forgers escaping the country amid a tightening of citizenship verification procedures.
Citizenship Revoked
Following a detailed review, the Supreme Nationality Committee has officially revoked the Kuwaiti citizenship of the three individuals. Investigations revealed that they were part of a larger network, linked to at least 12 other individuals who had also fraudulently obtained Kuwaiti nationality.
Authorities continue to scrutinize related files as part of a wider effort to preserve the integrity of Kuwait’s citizenship records and bring all offenders to justice.
