Ex-MPs, ministers, businessmen suspected of having links with human trafficking file

Govt gets tough, wants end to visa peddling crime

KUWAIT CITY, April 23, (Agencies): The fight against human trafficking is no longer a luxury, because human trade have severe repercussions which the country witnessed after the spread of the coronavirus and prompted the government to declare an all out war against the criminals who operate from inside and outside the country, reports AlSeyassah daily.

According to a high-level source the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anas Al-Saleh has an open mandate from the government to put an end to this crime.

For His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled confronting this crime (trafficking in humans and visa trade) has become a priority and he has introduced a system to investigate suspect companies and individuals.

The source revealed Minister of Interior has obtained a list of the names of former MPs and ministers and businessmen suspected of having links to the visa trade file.

In a striking paradox, the source confirmed the number of residence law violators – particularly the Egyptians and Bangladeshis – almost doubled after the formation of the Public Authority for Manpower concerning manpower which was earlier was the responsibility of the Ministry of Social Affairs and resulted in manipulation in estimating the need of some small projects saying fingers point in the direction of senior officials whose involvement cannot be ruled out.

A reliable source told the daily the Acting Director of Immigration Investigations, Colonel Sheikh Abdullah Al-Malik, was granted powers not to entertain interference from any party in favor of people who are suspected of human trafficking in addition to assigning a number of officers and individuals who have vast extensive experience security matters to put an end to the trafficking menace.

The source explained the Ministry of Interior has put in place new mechanisms to control “human trafficking” with special focus on those who facilitated the entry of vast numbers of expatriates.

The source added the focus is also on the so-called ‘brokers’ and owners of companies and individuals in the area of recruiting labor and receiving huge sums of money. The authorities have organized secret field visits to the violators of the residence law to know who brought them into the country and/or how much money they paid to get the job in Kuwait.

The source pointed out, the procedures taken include deportation of the violators of the residence law and their sponsors forced to pay for the accommodation expenses, travel tickets and monetary fines.

The Ministry of Interior is also checking the records of contracting companies especially those which employ more than 50 workers as well as SMEs and industrial plots sub-leased to expatriates, whether they are car repair garages or fake factories, in addition to mobile groceries, health clubs, women’s and men’s beauty parlors, farms, fishing licenses and mobile taxis licences, most of which belong to some senior employees of the Interior Ministry.

The source stressed there is intention, after deporting violators of residence law and after the amnesty period ends to arrest violators who

Kuwait Private Forces dispersed a group of hungry Asian workers who attacked trucks that were carrying food packages in Mahboula area, reports Al-Seyassah daily.

According to security sources, when the distribution

have failed to take advantage of the amnesty.

In the meantime, the source revealed four more Kuwaitis who are allegedly involved in trading in visas have been arrested after some of the violators disclosed the details of their plight. Also arrested are the Egyptian and Bangladeshi brokers.

In the meantime Representative MP Dr. Hammoud Al-Khudair has denied as lies and slander what has been published in the some media that he owns a company and has in his company file thousands of workers. He also denied signing any contract with an oil company.

Al-Khudair said in a press statement, “I challenge those who have promoted these allegations to submit one proof of my ownership of a company or any document to show I am doing any business.”

Second phase begins:

The first plane repatriating Kuwaiti citizens had left John F. Kenney Airport in New York on Wednesday, the second phase of a Kuwaiti government of the food packages had stopped, the workers who were waiting for them attacked the food trucks. Private Forces intervened immediately to disperse the workers and the distribution of the food packages was resumed under the observation of the Private Forces.

plan to bring back nationals amidst spread of coronavirus.

Buses transported Kuwaiti citizens from Washington D.C. to New York where they would repatriated on board Kuwait Airways planes.

“The second phase of repatriation of citizens has begun following tremendous efforts by multiple Kuwaiti authorities in Kuwait or in the US,” Kuwait Ambassador in Washington Sheikh Salem Abdullah AlSabah told KUNA.

This phase, said Sheikh Salem, would last for few days and the citizens would be flying back home from JFK Airport.

Sheikh Salem said Kuwaiti students would be repatriated, in the 3rd phase, via direct flights from different US cities. “I will announce the details of the students’ repatriation in the next few days,” he added.

Sheikh Salem thanked the citizens who were patient and understanding of the exceptional circumstances.

He urged the Kuwaiti nationals to abide by instructions of the health authorities once they arrived in Kuwait for the sake of their wellbeing

and that of others.

‘Meds for 8 mths’:

Assistant Undersecretary for Medicines and Medical Supplies at Ministry of Health Dr. Abdullah Al-Badr says the medicines and medical supplies’ strategic stock in the ministry is sufficient for a period of eight months, reports Aljarida daily.

In a press release, Dr. Al-Badr indicated that the strategic stock contains all important medicines including cancer medication, chronic diseases, antibiotics, antipyretics and others.

He stressed that the reserve stock will be requested from the local federation of importers of medicine and pharmaceutical supplies to enhance the strategic stockpile for at least two years as well as the urgency for the supply of medicines and medical equipment until the completion of the contracting procedures, after obtaining the necessary approvals from regulatory authorities such as the State Audit Bureau, the Central Agency for Public Tenders, and Fatwa and Legislation Department.