Latest news with #NationalityInvestigationDepartment
Arab Times
13 hours ago
- Arab Times
You Won't Believe How Thousands Gained Citizenship in Kuwait!
KUWAIT CITY, July 21: With the revocation of citizenship from 440 individuals in a single case recently, the total number affected in the largest case to date has reached 1,060, following the revocation of citizenship from 620 people in related cases. Informed sources described this case as a 'cluster bomb.' They explained that the new case, which the Nationality Investigation Committee resolved recently, is connected to previous cases and described it as 'stranger than fiction'. The case involves a father whose sons are older than he by eight, ten, and eleven years, respectively. It includes 440 individuals, all linked to earlier cases involving 620 people whose citizenship had previously been revoked. The father, born in 1940, had 22 children registered under him, including seven forged children: the first (A) born in 1948, the second (R) born in 1951, the third (F) born in 1953, the fourth (Kh) born in 1954, the fifth (A) born in 1951, the sixth (M) born in 1953, and the seventh (H) born in 1950. The father himself had obtained Kuwaiti citizenship through forgery and subsequently added forged individuals to his file. Investigations and evidence revealed that these forgers had completely different four-part Gulf names, but their fathers' and grandfathers' names were identical for all of them in Kuwait. These forgers were considered brothers in Kuwait, but in their actual Gulf country, they were strangers with no familial connection other than belonging to the same tribe. The forged father's file includes 24 people falsely registered as his 13 sons and 11 daughters. These 13 sons, in turn, have a total of 416 individuals registered as their sons and daughters. In 2024, Army Intelligence arrested a soldier on suspicion of forgery. It was discovered that he held Gulf documents under a name completely different from his Kuwaiti name. He admitted that his father was related to a Kuwaiti citizen and provided Army Intelligence with his father's real documents. The file was then transferred to the Nationality Investigation Department. After confirming the documents were forged, his citizenship and that of his children were revoked. Investigators also examined the file of his uncle (his father's brother), who held Kuwaiti documents. They summoned the father's seven living brothers, who admitted that their father had added fake children to the records, though these were his real sons. DNA testing confirmed that the seven were indeed siblings. However, all eight individuals registered as children on their late father's file were investigated. DNA tests proved these eight children were not biologically related to the man they were registered as sons of. The man, born in 1940, was found to be one of the eight forgers and was excluded from the list of heirs.
Arab Times
2 days ago
- Arab Times
Probe finds 119 persons having ‘fake' Kuwait citizenship
KUWAIT CITY, July 19: A citizenship forgery case that had been dormant since 2008 was revived following a report received through the Nationality Investigation Department hotline, leading to the revocation of the Kuwaiti citizenship of 119 individuals confirmed to have obtained the citizenship fraudulently. Sources revealed the case involves a Gulf national suspected of acquiring Kuwaiti citizenship through fraudulent means, in violation of Article One of the Nationality Law. Sources said the tip-off received through the hotline of the department triggered an intensive investigation of the individual and his descendants. Sources stated that the department affirmed that every communication received through its hotline is treated seriously and undergoes scrutiny to verify legitimacy and rule out malicious intent. 'The department also checks the background of the reporting party in line with its standard protocol,' sources added. The investigation revealed that the individual in question was the subject of a formal letter sent by his Gulf country to Kuwaiti authorities back in 2008. The letter included his Gulf citizenship information, family details, and national identification number, and requested clarification on how he acquired Kuwaiti nationality and whether his father held Kuwaiti citizenship. At the time, Kuwaiti authorities responded, acknowledging that the individual fraudulently obtained Kuwaiti citizenship and that he was using two completely different names -- one under his Gulf nationality and another under Kuwaiti identity. Despite this evidence, the case was inexplicably closed without further action. Further inquiries revealed that two of the man's grandchildren had their Kuwaiti citizenship revoked in separate decisions -- one in 2016 and the other in 2024. Upon a thorough review of the file, it was found that a total of 119 individuals -- all associated with the original citizenship forger -- had also fraudulently obtained Kuwaiti nationality and have now had it revoked. The investigation is ongoing into other dependents linked to the case. Authorities have affirmed that all the necessary legal and administrative measures will be taken based on the final findings.
Gulf Insider
3 days ago
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Kuwait Uncovers Largest Citizenship Fraud In History
Kuwait has revoked the citizenship of more than 1,060 individuals in what is being described as the largest nationality fraud operation in the country's history, following an intensive investigation that uncovered decades-long networks of forged identities and falsified records. The investigation was led by the Supreme Committee for the Investigation of Kuwaiti Nationality, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior's Nationality Investigation Department. The campaign uncovered decades-old fraud networks involving forged identities, false family claims, and dual nationalities, local newspaper Al Rai reported. Kuwaiti authorities reopened a dormant 2008 case last year following a tipoff. It involved a man born in 1956 who assumed a false Kuwaiti identity while holding Gulf citizenship. Despite confessing in 2006, he remained on official records and added 44 children and 122 dependents to his profile over time. DNA tests later confirmed he was not related to many of them, triggering mass revocations. Another case involved a deceased individual born in 1940, under whose name 440 people had illegally acquired Kuwaiti nationality. These were revoked in one session during the committee's most recent meeting. In total, around 700 revocations were issued in the latest round, across four major files. Sixteen individuals were found to hold dual Gulf or Arab nationalities in violation of citizenship rules. The investigation, covering cases between 2000 and 2025, involved DNA analysis, record audits, and foreign government correspondence. Officials said revocations were based on verified documentation.
Arab Times
4 days ago
- Arab Times
Man With 44 Children Loses Kuwaiti Citizenship After DNA Probe
KUWAIT CITY, July 18: Authorities have uncovered a complex case involving a man born in 1956, who had 44 children listed under his name and a total of 122 dependents linked to his citizenship file. The case first came to light in 2006, when the Nationality Investigation Department discovered that the individual held citizenship from another Gulf country. Upon being confronted with official documents confirming his true identity, he admitted to possessing Gulf citizenship and pledged to renounce it. Notably, his Kuwaiti identity differed entirely from his Gulf identity. In 2017, the man added a Yemeni child to his file, further raising suspicions. By 2025, investigations intensified, and 13 men identified as his brothers were summoned. They were informed that their father's nationality file was under scrutiny and were questioned about their siblings, both real and potentially fraudulent. The 13 individuals confirmed that they were indeed biological brothers, all sharing the same father, but claimed not to know the other supposed siblings. DNA testing confirmed that these 13 were genuine siblings. However, DNA analysis ultimately proved that the man born in 1956 was not related to the 13 real brothers by blood. As a result, his Kuwaiti citizenship was revoked, along with the citizenship of the 122 individuals who had obtained it through his fraudulent claim.
Arab Times
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Three Fake ‘Sons' Exposed in Kuwaiti Citizenship Fraud
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.
