KUWAIT CITY, Dec 26: In an extraordinary case resembling a twisted plotline from a detective novel, Kuwaiti authorities have uncovered a complex web of forgery and fraud involving dual identities, fabricated documents, and manipulated familial ties spanning Kuwait and a Gulf state.

The case centers on a man born in 1964 who, on official Kuwaiti documents, is listed as deceased, yet remains alive under a different name in a neighboring Gulf country. In Kuwait, he is recorded as the uncle of his wife, while in the Gulf state, he is her husband. This tangled fraud highlights the depth of manipulation in official records, which have facilitated fraudulent access to citizenship and state benefits.

The deception came to light in 2018 when the Nationality Investigations Department discovered irregularities in the man’s file. Although born in 1964, he only obtained Kuwaiti citizenship in 1994 under dubious circumstances. His Gulf identity was voluntarily submitted to Kuwaiti authorities in 2008, exposing glaring discrepancies between his names in both countries. Further investigations revealed that his daughter also held dual Kuwaiti citizenship under two names, married two different men—one in Kuwait and one in the Gulf state—and even shared her photo across multiple IDs.

The fraud took a darker turn when forged death certificates were submitted to obstruct investigations. A fake death certificate for the man under his Kuwaiti identity was used to "eliminate" his file while he continued to live under his Gulf identity. Later, his daughter’s Kuwaiti death certificate was also forged, though her lack of passport records or travel history to the Gulf country raised further suspicions.

Genetic fingerprint analysis confirmed discrepancies in familial ties, unraveling the intricate layers of the scheme. Authorities are continuing their investigations, aiming to bring all those involved in this elaborate forgery to justice and to safeguard Kuwait’s resources and citizenship integrity.