KUWAIT CITY, April 11: Twenty of the over 200 Zimbabwean women who were reportedly stranded in Kuwait after they were lured to the Middle East country on the pretext that they were going to be offered lucrative jobs by a local human trafficking syndicate, have returned to Harare, reports Al-Rai daily quoting a Zimbabwean newspaper.

According to reliable sources, most of these women had their travel documents confiscated upon arrival at the Kuwait International Airport and were reportedly to individuals to work as domestic helpers. Most of them were employed as housemaids under harsh conditions and were not allowed to leave, denied enough food, forced to work for long hours while others were reportedly forced into prostitution.

Earlier it was reported the Zimbabwean police had arrested a senior Kuwait embassy official believed to be part of a well-organized human trafficking organization. The 62-year-old suspect, was named as B.A. May, and believed to be working as a secretary for the Embassy in Harare. She was taken into custody for luring female job-seekers to Kuwait on the pretext the job was secure and decent, but in actual fact they were sold into prostitution and menial jobs. She was suspected of facilitating or processing visas for the victims. According to a Zimbabwean newspaper about 200 Zimbabwean women were stranded in Kuwait after being promised jobs.

2 held captives for 5 months: Police are looking for unidentified persons for kidnapping two Filipinas, holding them in an apartment at an unidentified location for five months and raping them, reports Al-Anba daily. The daily added, the women have been admitted to a hospital with serious injuries after the rope made of bed sheets, snapped and they fell to the ground when they were attempting to escape from their captors. It has been reported the apartment was rented by a female campatriot and she left for her home country immediately after the incident for fear of being arrested.

4 people being probed: Four citizens of an unidentified GCC country, who are believed to be in their 30s, have been referred to the State Security police for interrogation, reports Al-Anba daily. A security source said the arrest came after the Operation Room of the Interior Ministry was informed that the four men were preparing to sleep on grass in an open area near a vital facility. Police rushed to the spot and searched their vehicles but found nothing suspicious. However, they were taken to the State Security department for interrogation

The 3 Asians arrested during the raid on the illegal liquor factory

Three Asians held for running illegal liquor factoryThree Asian expatriates were arrested for running an illegal factory for manufacturing liquor in Wafra area, reports Al-Seyassah daily. According to security sources, when securitymen received information about the illegal factory, they raided it and found a number of barrels of locally manufactured liquor. The three suspects were arrested and referred with the liquor to the concerned authorities for necessary legal action against them. Meanwhile, an Asian man and woman were arrested for manufacturing liquor and selling them for KD 8-KD 10 per bottle.