Kuwait-Egypt sting operation pours cold water on European dream

In a significant security breakthrough, the Ministry of Interior has announced the arrest of an organized gang involved in forging official Kuwaiti documents to obtain European visas for the purpose of illegal immigration and asylum.

The operation was carried out by the General Department of Residency Investigations of the the Residency and Nationality Affairs Sector, upon instructions of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef.

The ministry stated that this success stems from enhanced security cooperation with Egypt, following official visits that led to the exchange of information and coordinated action between the two nations.

Investigations revealed that the gang specialized in forging a wide range of government documents, including work permits, salary amendments, profession and company changes on civil IDs, bank statements with counterfeit seals, and fake salary certificates — all intended to satisfy the document requirements of European embassies for Schengen visa applications.

The criminal network was led by an Egyptian identified as the main suspect, who remains at large outside Kuwait. Operating from Egypt, he coordinated document forgery, managed funds, and assigned roles to his associates.
The Kuwaiti authorities are working closely with Egyptian security officials to take the necessary legal measures against him.

Several accomplices were arrested in Kuwait, including another Egyptian who helped execute the forgery operations locally, a third suspect responsible for embassy appointment bookings, and a Lebanese who facilitated visa issuance by submitting false reservation confirmations to embassies.

A raid on the main suspect’s residence resulted in the seizure of a computer, printers, flash drives, and passports used in the forgery schemes.

The authorities also arrested several Egyptians who had obtained forged documents and were seeking or had already been granted Schengen visas.

Many individuals involved were private sector workers under Article 18, lured by promises of travel to Europe in exchange for payments ranging from 950 to 1,500 dinars.

Some of those who acquired the fraudulent visas have reportedly already traveled to European countries, prompting coordination with relevant agencies in Kuwait and Egypt to address the security breach. The Ministry emphasized that this case represents a form of organized, transnational crime that exploits Kuwait as a transit point for illegal migration operations—posing a direct threat to national security.

All suspects in custody have been referred to the appropriate authorities for prosecution on charges including document forgery and misuse of official papers for illegal purposes.