KUWAIT CITY, Jan 29: Personnel from the Sabah Al-Salem Investigation Department have arrested a three-man gang of criminals who had devised a new method for stealing luxury vehicles and then reselling them as scrap. The process involved the buyer dismantling the vehicle in Kuwait and transporting it to a third country, for the car to be reassembled. The authorities are currently investigating the number of cases the gang members have committed by reviewing complaints from rental offices about individuals who rented vehicles but failed to return them. According to a security source, the Sabah Al-Salem Investigation officers received information that three expatriates had encouraged another expatriate to rent a luxury four-wheel drive, valued at approximately 14,000 dinars, two weeks ago.

They gave the expatriate, who rented the car in his name, 1,000 dinars and the cost of a flight ticket in exchange for his cooperation. The investigations revealed the suspects then attempted to sell the vehicle that was rented in the expatriate’s name. The source stated: “The investigators contacted the suspects pretending to be interested in purchasing the vehicle. The officers met with them, posing as car dealers, and expressed interest in buying the vehicle. The suspects agreed to sell it for 7,000 dinars, which was 50 percent of its actual value.” The source added, at this point the three men were arrested after the officers learned they were at a café in the Salmiya area. They were then taken for interrogation, during which they revealed their new method of theft. They explained that they would search for expatriates planning to leave the country for good.

After completing all the necessary procedures and receiving their dues, they would be taken to a rental office days before their departure and offered money to rent a car for 10 days. The expatriate would leave the country immediately and during the rental period, the gang would sell the vehicle, ensuring it was not used within the country. The car would then be dismantled and smuggled out of the country. The suspects revealed that the vehicle was in their possession and had been rented in the name of an expatriate who had left the country a few days earlier. The expatriate was given 1,000 Kuwaiti dinars and had his flight ticket paid for.