KUWAIT CITY, Jan 21, (Agencies): The Criminal Court, headed by Judge Abdullah Al-Osaimi, sentenced a foreign gang consisting of five members of Arab and Asian nationalities in absentia to 40 years in prison each for carrying out major fraud operations victimizing several Kuwaitis who were lured into bogus investments, reports Al- Qabas daily. The ruling came after the gang was charged with money laundering. It is the first gang whose identity was revealed through investigations by detectives at home and abroad. It was discovered that the gang, which is based in Turkey, used advanced equipment to transfer the money they received through Gulf and Turkish bank accounts.

For the first time, the Criminal Court asked the Public Prosecution to conduct investigations in cooperation with the Central Bank and the Financial Investigation Unit to determine the procedures, dealings, and ways to confront this fraud, which has become troubling for many citizens. A reliable source told the daily that the court’s action to address the prosecution and request that investigations be conducted are necessary, as it is unreasonable that everything needs a license in Kuwait, except for trading platforms. The source stated that the Kuwaiti authorities would contact Interpol because of this ruling to request the extradition of those who swindled several Kuwaitis. He added the gang received millions of Kuwaiti dinars from the victims who were deceived into investing in various companies.