MoI busts drug network; prison inmate’s tip foils attempt to bring in Lyrica shipment

A major attempt to smuggle a shipment of Lyrica pills from an Asian country was thwarted thanks to crucial information provided by a Central Prison inmate.

The Ministry of Interior announced that it has effectively closed the file on a drug trafficking ring responsible for importing and distributing the banned psychotropic substance Lyrica in the country, reports Al-Rai daily.

Investigations revealed that the main suspect, (MHAM) — a Kuwaiti national currently serving time in Central Prison — is a known figure in multiple drug-related cases and has several court rulings issued against him. Authorities identified him as the key player behind the smuggling operation.

The case marks a significant blow to the illicit drug network and underscores the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to combat narcotics trafficking in Kuwait.

Authorities tracked one of his key accomplices operating outside the prison — (R.Sh.R.F), a bedoun — who was caught selling psychotropic substances to a confidential informant. Continued surveillance led investigators to a storage site in the Kabd area, located in a stable rented under the name of a citizen, (A.Kh.GAZ), for 600 dinars per month.

When security forces moved in to apprehend the suspect in Kabd, he resisted arrest, causing damage to police vehicles. A search of the premises uncovered significant quantities of Lyrica capsules and powder, along with drug packaging tools.

Upon being summoned from prison and interrogated, the inmate confessed to coordinating the import of a large drug shipment via air freight. Based on this confession, security forces coordinated with customs authorities and transferred the inmate to the air freight facility, where seven large boxes containing nearly 800,000 Lyrica capsules were seized.

The street value of the confiscated psychotropic drugs is believed to be substantial. Authorities confirmed that this operation marks the dismantling of a well-organized gang involved in drug trafficking and distribution, led by a prisoner who manipulated external networks to execute the smuggling scheme.