KUWAIT CITY, May 28: After a long search operation lasting 74 days, officers from the Criminal Security Sector found the body of the missing citizen Mubarak Al-Rashidi in Salmi desert area. The funeral was held on Saturday at the Sulaibikhat cemetery amid a big crowd and official presence, led by the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Acting Minister of Defense Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled and a number of security leaders, reports Al-Rai daily.

On Friday evening, the Ministry of Interior had announced that Al-Rashidi’s body had been found after carrying out forensic evidence analyses on the body that was discovered on Thursday inside a “container” in Salmi desert area.

The ministry has started taking necessary measures to refer investigations and information to the concerned authorities.

According to security sources, there were suspicions from the beginning about his friend who was detained in the Central Prison, as he was with Al-Rashidi on the day he went missing in Kabd area.

Minister Talal Al-Khalid, who was following the details of the case, formed a special committee to follow up the progress of the investigations in order to solve the mystery behind the disappearance. Investigations, which involved tracking of movement through communication towers and analyzing the phone calls made by the accused, revealed that he was in contact with a number in the same campsite that he used to frequent with Al-Rashidi in Kabd area. When inquiring about the owner of the number, it was discovered to belong to an Egyptian expatriate who left the country on the second day of Al-Rashidi's disappearance.

The Public Prosecution, which is following up the investigations, received the investigation report, and worked to coordinate with the concerned Egyptian authorities, informing them about suspicions of the Egyptian expatriate's involvement in Al-Rashidi’s disappearance. A visit was arranged for a delegation from the Public Prosecution to Egypt to follow up the progress of the investigation.

When interrogated, the Egyptian admitted that he witnessed Mubarak's friend hitting Mubarak with an iron pipe in a camp in Kabd area, after which he took Mubarak in his car, and then returned alone about two hours later. He then asked him to dismantle and burn the tent where the incident took place, and then leave Kuwait.

The Egyptian expatriate said he had no knowledge of the location of Al-Rashidi's body or the presence of a container in Salmi area belonging to the accused.

The sources said a document of sale of the container and solar energy equipment found with the suspect was the tip of the thread that led to the place where the body was hidden.

They explained that the investigations intensified after finding the document, which was found to date back to a few days before Al-Rashidi’s disappearance.

The seller was found and interrogated. He reported that he sold the container to the accused, who also asked him for a room with a door, a lock, and lighting that works on solar energy. He took him to Salmi desert area days before Al-Rashidi disappeared.

As a result of the investigations, the location of a livestock pen in Salmi area was found and the container with Mubarak Al-Rashidi’s body wrapped in a carpet was found inside. Next to the body were plastic handcuffs and a chain. All evidence was picked up by the forensic evidence team.

In a statement, the Ministry of Interior affirmed that it spares no effort in preserving security and safety and exposing anyone who finds himself being tempted to tamper with the security and safety of the country and the people.

It explained that a wide search campaign for the missing citizen was launched in the middle of last month, from the first moment of the arrival of the missing report, as well as investigations to uncover the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.

Hundreds of security officers, dozens of patrol and search teams participated in the campaign, including officers from the general departments of Criminal Evidence, Investigation, Public Security, Traffic, Helicopter Aviation, the Central Operations and Research Department and many volunteers.