Drugs worth 74 m dinars seized in 2023

The Public Prosecution issued the digital bulletin on drug and psychotropic substance cases for the year 2023, highlighting the information data, the nature of the seized materials, and the judicial updates on cases.

The Public Prosecution aims to raise awareness in society about the scourge of drugs, and to be transparent on the statistics and data, which would help in initiating stringent laws governing the abuse of substances, as reported by Al Qabas.

The figures showed that the Public Prosecution recorded 2,666 cases in 2023, and that crimes of drug and psychotropic substance abuse constituted 77.2% of the total cases received by the Drug and Alcohol Prosecution, followed by crimes of trafficking in these substances at a rate of 22.5%.

The total number of defendants brought before the Public Prosecution in these cases were 3,554, 56% of whom were Kuwaitis. The age group from 18-39 years was the most likely to commit crimes compared to the rest of the categories, at a rate of 81.4%. The Public Prosecution recorded 42 deaths due to drug and psychotropic substance abuse, 81% of whom were Kuwaitis.

The bulletin devoted a detailed section on the quantity, type and value of the most seized narcotic and psychotropic substances. It briefly included the seizure of 25,668,685 tablets and 3,568,811 kg of prohibited substances, with an estimated market value of 74,059,219 Kuwaiti dinars.

The bulletin showed the Public Prosecution’s completion rate of these cases at 95.3%, 82% of which were referred to criminal trial, and on 18% the decision was to close them for lack of jurisdiction, while the conviction rate in judicial rulings issued during 2023 amounted to 90%.