24 arrested after Kuwait foils terror funding plot

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior has announced on Saturday that it foiled a plot aimed at undermining national security and financing terrorist entities, with 24 citizens arrested by its State Security Service.

In a statement released via the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), the ministry added that one individual among those apprehended had his citizenship revoked, and confirmed that the suspects were found in possession of funds linked to illegal activities.

The authorities also identified eight citizens who are currently abroad, with one revoked from their citizenship, and noted that they were part of an organised network collecting and holding funds under religious pretexts for transfer based on instructions from outside the country. 

The ministry stated that the funds were gathered from donors who contributed believing the money was for legitimate charitable causes.

Investigations then revealed that the organisers diverted these funds to unlawful entities, exploiting the trust of the donors and violating the intended purpose of the contributions.

They added that the suspects reportedly used commercial and professional entities as fronts to move money and distributed funds among several individuals for transport by land and air in efforts to bypass suspicion. 

Legal action has been initiated against those arrested, and they have been referred to the relevant authorities. The ministry added that investigations continue to identify and apprehend all other individuals involved in the network.