Latest news with #NationalityInvestigationsDepartment
Arab Times
22-05-2025
- Arab Times
142 Names, 4 Wives, and 40 Fake Children: Kuwait's Largest Citizenship Scam
KUWAIT CITY, May 22: In an explosive extension of a previously uncovered nationality fraud case, Kuwaiti authorities have exposed a massive forgery scheme involving a man born in the 1950s who fraudulently obtained citizenship and amassed a staggering 142 affiliations under his name—including 40 registered children from four wives, many of whom were later revealed to be unrelated individuals fraudulently registered as his offspring. Sources stated that the case is directly linked to an earlier forgery network and centers on a forger who had 16 biological children but also 20 unrelated individuals falsely documented as his. The man fled Kuwait illegally after the Nationality Investigations Department summoned members of his circle for questioning and DNA testing. He was aided by a relative employed at a government agency who bypassed a travel ban and facilitated his escape. The employee has since been arrested and is in custody pending investigation. Authorities believe the forger's escape was a deliberate attempt to avoid genetic fingerprinting, which would have revealed discrepancies. His disappearance, however, did not prevent the investigation from moving forward. Four of his supposed children had already been matched through DNA testing in a 2017 forgery case involving a falsely claimed grandfather, tests that definitively proved no genetic relationship and confirmed the forgery. A new twist emerged when officials received a tip-off about a Gulf national preparing to leave Kuwait. A vigilant passport officer, suspicious of the traveler's documentation, took the unusual step of capturing biometric fingerprints before departure. The prints revealed that the man was registered in Kuwait under the forged file as one of the fugitive's sons. However, DNA tests conducted with the supposed brothers proved he was not related to them or the fugitive. Confronted with the evidence, the man confessed to paying KD 35,000 through his real Gulf-national father to the forger, in exchange for being added to the fraudulent Kuwaiti file to enjoy citizenship privileges. Further investigations revealed he had exploited the forged identity to its fullest, securing maximum-limit loans, mobile contracts, and other financial benefits, with the apparent intent to flee the country financially enriched. Thanks to the alertness of the passport officer and biometric verification, his plan was foiled. He has since been referred to the Public Prosecution on charges of forgery and obtaining nationality by fraudulent means. The case underscores the scale and sophistication of identity fraud networks and highlights the effectiveness of biometric systems and inter-agency cooperation in dismantling them. Further prosecutions are expected as investigations widen.
Arab Times
22-05-2025
- Arab Times
The Story of Three Syrian Brothers and a Forged Kuwait Citizenship
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.
Arab Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Kuwaiti Citizenship Fraud Involving Iraqis Resurfaces After 54 Years
KUWAIT CITY, May 14: A complex and long-buried case of Kuwaiti citizenship forgery has resurfaced, revealing that a warning issued over five decades ago by Captain Abdullah Al-Tayyar was both accurate and ahead of its time. Informed sources told that the case, which has gained renewed attention on social media, involves four individuals falsely registered as the sons of a deceased Kuwaiti citizen. Investigations by the Nationality Investigations Department, in coordination with archival records, confirmed that in 1971, Captain Al-Tayyar received a tip indicating that the four individuals were not biological sons of the Kuwaiti citizen under whose name they were registered. During that period, Al-Tayyar conducted extensive inquiries, including interviews and workplace visits, which revealed that at least one of the alleged sons was of Iraqi origin and employed in a glass shop in Hawalli. Despite clear contradictions in the citizen's testimony, authorities at the time closed the case without further action. Now, decades later, the Supreme Committee for Nationality has reopened the file, prompted by genetic testing and renewed scrutiny. The biological children of the deceased citizen, when confronted, acknowledged no contact with the four forged individuals and consented to DNA testing. The results confirmed no familial connection. Further analysis found that one of the forgers, now deceased, was linked to 37 individuals, most of them Iraqis, including a well-known social media personality who has since left the country. Authorities are now working to complete investigations into the remaining files, using conclusive scientific evidence to identify and revoke fraudulent citizenship. Sources emphasized that the work and foresight of Captain Abdullah Al-Tayyar have become an invaluable reference point in the government's ongoing effort to root out forged nationalities.
Arab Times
22-02-2025
- Arab Times
Shocking Citizenship Scam: Kuwaiti Mother Poses As Sister To Her Son
KUWAIT CITY, Feb 22: In a bizarre case of identity fraud, the Nationality Investigations Department uncovered a decades-old deception in which a Kuwaiti woman falsely registered her son as her brother to obtain citizenship benefits. Investigations revealed that the woman, a Kuwaiti national, was married to a Saudi citizen who later divorced her and returned to his country, unaware that she was pregnant at the time. Instead of notifying her ex-husband and registering the child under his Saudi citizenship, she colluded with her father to falsely register the child as his own, effectively making the boy her legal brother under Kuwaiti law. The fraudulent registration occurred in 1996, and the deception remained undetected for nearly three decades. However, recent investigations exposed the scheme, leading to the arrest of both the mother and her son for falsifying the father's citizenship records. During interrogation, both confessed to their crime, and their statements were confirmed through DNA testing. Authorities also discovered that the mother's father, who had falsely claimed the child as his own, had fled Kuwait. His name has been circulated through Interpol for international arrest. The case has now been referred to the Public Prosecution, and legal proceedings are underway against those involved in this extraordinary case of identity fraud.
Arab Times
21-02-2025
- Arab Times
Saudi Man Illegally Added to Kuwaiti Citizenship File
KUWAIT CITY, Feb 21: The Nationality Investigations Department continues to investigate cases of nationality forgery and has recently arrested a Kuwaiti citizen, born in 1985, in the Sabah Al-Ahmad area. Investigations revealed that the individual is actually a Saudi national who was unlawfully added to a Kuwaiti citizen's nationality file through forgery. During questioning, the suspect admitted his true identity and presented his original documents. He stated that the Kuwaiti citizen, now deceased, had added him to the nationality file due to their family relationship. The case has been referred to the Public Prosecution for further legal action.
