KUWAIT: Coastguards foiled an attempt to smuggle 250 kg of hashish into the country by sea. Marine security received tips about the attempt, so a warrant was obtained. A boat with five persons onboard was spotted, which was stopped and the contraband was found. The suspects were sent to concerned authorities. Separately, Nuwaiseeb customs officers foiled an attempt by two citizens to smuggle seven bottles of beer and a bottle of vodka on their arrival into Kuwait from a neighboring country. The two were sent to concerned authorities.

Burned alive

A man was burned alive when his vehicle caught fire yesterday, while two others who were with him escaped death. The three went to a gas station to get petrol for a friend, then on the way back, a fire broke out in their vehicle. The two Syrian men who survived had threw themselves out, sustaining several injuries in the process, but their Kuwaiti friend could not and was burned to death. The deceased's body was taken by the coroner, while the Syrians were taken to Farwaniya Hospital. A source said a cigarette may have caused the fire.

fraud

An Egyptian man complained against a female compatriot who claimed to be a senior official in a company and promised to bring his cousin on a work permit in exchange of KD 1,300. The man borrowed the money and gave it to her. When he called her two weeks later, she made more promises, then disappeared. He then went to the company where she works and was surprised to learn she was a telephone operator and was fired for making trouble. Hawally detectives looked for her, only to find out that she was in the central prison because of other offences. The victim recognized the suspect in a lineup and she confessed to committing the crime.

By Hanan Al-Sadoun and Agencies