In the second human trafficking case during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Criminal Court presided over by Judge Nayef Al-Dhahoum sentenced a colonel of Ministry of Interior and three Egyptian expatriates to three year imprisonment with hard labor followed by deportation of the expatriates, reports Al-Rai daily. The Public Prosecution explained that all the accused had committed the crime of human trafficking by recruiting the victims from overseas through a general trading company run by the first defendant - the citizen.

They had attracted and deluded the victims after assuring them a job in Kuwait at a monthly salary of KD 150 each as well as other benefits in kind. They received money from them in exchange for concluding work contracts with them, taking advantage of the vulnerability of the victims and their need for work and money.

This was aimed to exploit them by obtaining other sums of money and restricting their freedom. The perpetrators are considered as an organized criminal group that committed crimes in the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Kuwait.

They facilitated for the victims to obtain work permits with the intent to work in the country in exchange for money, and deceived them about the existence of non-existent jobs. The accused created hope in the victims in an attempt to make profits, and deluded the victims to work and obtain a source of livelihood in Kuwait. They led the victims to commit a mistake, which forced them to hand over the aforementioned money to them.