17/06/2026
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17/06/2026
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KUWAIT CITY, Jun 17: Kuwait’s Criminal Security Sector, represented by the General Department of Criminal Investigation, has arrested two individuals accused of manipulating and falsifying residential addresses of expatriates to illegally issue civil identification cards.
According to security sources, the suspects were involved in changing expatriates’ registered addresses in the records of the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI), despite the addresses not matching their actual places of residence.
Investigations revealed that the main suspect, a Kuwaiti national born in 1973, allegedly used his position to alter and update expatriates’ residential information in exchange for financial payments ranging between KD 100 and KD 120 per transaction.
The suspect was referred to the Capital Governorate Prosecution, which launched an investigation and charged him with forgery and bribery. He was later transferred to the Central Prison pending further legal procedures.
Authorities also arrested his accomplice, who allegedly acted as an intermediary between expatriates seeking illegal address changes and the main suspect. During questioning, the accomplice admitted receiving KD 150 for each transaction, keeping a commission of between KD 30 and KD 50 for his role.
Investigation Leads to Arrest of Main Suspect
The case began after the Criminal Security Sector received information that some expatriates were obtaining changes to their registered residential addresses through unofficial channels in exchange for money, with payments reaching up to KD 150 per transaction.
Security authorities launched an investigation and placed the suspected activities under surveillance. Investigators identified an intermediary involved in arranging the transactions and later arrested him for questioning.
During interrogation, the intermediary reportedly revealed his connection with a PACI employee involved in altering the records, leading authorities to identify and arrest the main suspect.
Authorities Warn Against Illegal Civil ID Practices
The security source warned that expatriates who obtain civil identification cards through illegal means may face legal consequences, with penalties potentially including administrative deportation.
Authorities urged residents to comply with Kuwait’s laws and regulations regarding residency information and official records.
The Criminal Security Sector is continuing efforts to compile a complete list of all transactions carried out by the two suspects to determine the full scope of the alleged violations and identify any additional individuals who may have benefited from the illegal address changes.
The case follows a similar crackdown in December last year, when the Ministry of Interior announced that the Financial Crimes Department had dismantled a network involved in facilitating illegal residential address changes for expatriates in exchange for money.
by John C Fernandes
Online Media Manager
