In a bizarre forgery case, authorities solve the mystery of ‘citizenship-for-sale’ operation

In a startling case of identity fraud, the Kuwaiti authorities have uncovered a complex scheme involving a fictitious citizenship file and two Gulf nationals impersonating a non-existent Kuwaiti citizen — each using different types of fingerprints.

The case, described as one of the most sophisticated instances of forgery, began unraveling when the Department of Nationality Investigations received a tip off about irregularities linked to a Kuwaiti citizen’s identity and what was discovered was a forged identity that had been sold twice to different individuals, according to Al-Rai daily.

The authorities explained that every Kuwaiti citizen is now required to have three types of fingerprints stored in the criminal evidence system:

• A civil fingerprint (initially collected using ink on paper),
• An electronic fingerprint (added with the advent of electronic passports),
• A biometric fingerprint (recently implemented for advanced identity verification).

Typically, middle-aged and elderly citizens in Kuwait would have all three in their file.

However, the individual in question had only two fingerprints associated with their file: a civil and a biometric one. Upon comparison, the two fingerprints did not match, triggering a deeper investigation.

According to the findings, the first Gulf national entered Kuwait years ago and impersonated the fictitious citizen using a civil fingerprint. For six years, he lived as a Kuwaiti citizen, benefiting from the privileges of citizenship.

Later, a second Gulf national arrived and used the same name, but with a biometric fingerprint. A cross-check revealed that the fingerprints belonged to two entirely different individuals — neither of whom was an actual Kuwaiti citizen.

The investigation concluded that the “Kuwaiti” identity, allegedly under the name Khaled, was completely fabricated and unassigned to any real person. Shockingly, the identity was part of a forgery-for-sale operation, with the name being sold to two separate buyers.

Further inquiries into the fraudulent file uncovered that it included a fake marriage contract with an Asian woman, intended solely to exploit the legal and financial benefits granted to married citizens. The file was registered under a man with no actual nationality or citizenship status.

The authorities have since taken decisive action. All parties involved in the forgery and impersonation have been identified, and legal measures have been initiated against them.
The Ministry of Interior credited the National Investigation and Nationality Department for its vigilance, noting that without its sharp oversight, the fraudulent sales could have multiplied and continued undetected.

This case underscores the importance of Kuwait’s fingerprint-based identity system and highlights the risks posed by organized forgery networks. The incident also serves as a call for further tightening of verification protocols to protect the integrity of Kuwaiti citizenship records.