Smart ‘driving licences’ to be issued in September: ministry
‘Replacement of old licences in two years’
KUWAIT CITY, May 15: The Interior Ministry has adopted the smart edriving license project, including all information from the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) just like the epassport, reports Al-Rai daily quoting security sources.
Sources revealed the traffic departments in different parts of the country will start issuing the e-license from September.
Sources quoted the assistant director general of PACI as saying that this will allow the ministry to sign electronically on the data saved in the chip of the smart driving license to endorse it and protect it from manipulation or forgery.
On the other hand, Assistant Undersecretary for Traffic Affairs in the ministry Major General Fahad Al-Shuwai’a confirmed that the ministry has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with PACI to save the data of driving license holders from their civil identification cards.
He said the ministry will install self-service machines to issue the new license in order to facilitate procedures and provide the best services to the public.
He affirmed the smart driving license will be accredited internationally and the data therein cannot be forged or manipulated. He added this will also ease procedures for traffic officers in issuing citations for traffic violations as they will be provided with automatic readers to register the violations.
He said the smart driving license will be issued to citizens, expatriates and Bedouns; indicating all existing licenses will be replaced with the new one within two years.
He disclosed the new license will consist of a chip containing the data of the holder with a code based on international standards.
Drugs in abdomen:
Officers at the General Custom Department in coordination with Drug Control General Department foiled an attempt by one Iranian national to smuggle a quantity of heroin and opium he had swallowed just before touching down at Kuwait airport.
Head of security and investigation, and member of the customs media committee Khaled Al-Remaih said head of the office of Security Information Rashed Al-Barakah received a tip-off that an Iranian man was planning to smuggle drugs into the country.
The suspect was detained upon arrival to the airport but nothing was found in his luggage but strange objects were spotted inside his abdomen through X-ray.
Al-Remaih said the suspect was referred to a hospital and doctors removed 260 grams of opium and heroin. He was referred with the contraband for further investigation.
Peddlers attack police:
Police have arrested two Kuwaitis for trafficking in drugs and deliberately colliding with a police vehicle in a vain
attempt to escape, reports Al-Anba daily. A security source said a police patrol from the Taima Police Station suspected the two young men and ordered them to pull over.
However, the men in the car not only ignored, but collided with the police and one of them got out of the vehicle and started a fist fight with the officers.
Both men then were controlled and handcuffed. At the time of arrest both men were disoriented and have criminal record.
Police have seized from their car 13 sachets of meth, a sensitive scale and narcotic pills.
The contraband and the traffickers have been referred to the General Department for Drugs Control.
Girl blackmailed:
Police have arrested an unidentified Syrian for threatening to post ‘special’ pictures of a bedoun girl in the social media, reports Al-Anba daily.
The daily added, the suspect and the bedoun girl became friends and
the former posed as a rich man and said his family has a jewelry shop.
The victim fell for the ploy and sent him her pictures in the belief the man will marry her.
After receiving the pictures, the man changed his colors and started demanding KD 800 to keep his mouth shut.
The panicked woman sought the help of the police and the suspect was arrested within minutes after the complaint was filed.
Police checked the man’s phone but failed to find anything. However, police are in the process of retrieving the deleted pictures.
Indian held in chase:
Security operatives in a hot chase busted an Indian man who had two bottles of local liquor inside a handbag, as he tried in vain to flee on foot. He was referred to a police station in Mahboula.
A Kuwaiti man was caught in Fahaheel area in possession of cigarette stuffed with hashish, says AlSeyassah.
Apparently, the citizen aroused suspicion of officers on a round of Ahmadi governorate and ordered him to stop for checking. He was arrested and referred to drug prosecution when the officers found a piece of hashish on him.
Bedoun stabbed:
A Bedoun suffered from stab wound on his shoulder after engaging in a public brawl with a GCC national, says Al-Seyassah.
Securitymen and paramedics rushed to the location after the Operations Unit in the Interior Ministry received information on the fight. The Beodun was referred to Jahra Hospital.
During investigation, the Bedoun said he had a heated argument with the GCC national until it escalated into a fistfight. He told the investigators that the GCC national took a sharp object and stabbed his right shoulder.
The GCC national was arrested and investigations are ongoing.