Last week, while everyone was enjoying the national holidays, policemen managed to save the life of an innocent man in record time. Interior ministry personnel did a good job saving the life of a Kuwaiti lawyer who was abducted by four Arab men. The case is still under investigation, but has raised several questions from people. The story, as reported by the lawyer to the media, began when the lawyer was kidnapped while leaving his office in the evening and was bundled in a car by four Arab men. But the kidnappers didn't expect to be arrested at a security checkpoint by a Farwaniya security patrol during a routine search in Kabd, which has many farms.

The lawyer was hidden under the feet of the kidnappers in their car and was handcuffed. Luckily, he was freed and the kidnappers were arrested. According to official reports, the abducted lawyer was taken to a farm in Kabd, where one of the persons interrogated and beat him. So far, the four defendants have made full confessions to the police, but the surprise came when they admitted that they had committed their crime at the instigation of another lawyer for some money.

The police arrested this lawyer for inciting a crime. The details of the case have been published and received many comments. The motive of the crime will be revealed by the investigations of the police. But many people wondered about the sponsors of these expats. I agree that all their sponsors must be summoned - whether the crime was with their consent and knowledge or not. I believe this is important because here in Kuwait there is a trade in residency visas, which we often hear about.

We find people, whether Arabs or Asians, have valid residencies with sponsors, but they do not work for them and have nothing to do with them. Their sole connection is with the money they pay to them annually for getting the work permit and valid residency without direct work. So they are left with no job, and of course, the need for money may lead them to crime.

I think that those suspects who were involved in this crime may be of this category, so this matter must be seriously considered. We have often heard of such trafficking, but it is time to conduct an investigation to protect people's lives. In case fraud is proven in this case, it is necessary to close the files of these companies and force the sponsors to pay large fines.

These people who extort large sums of money from poor expats are guilty, and the expats are victims of this trade because they want to stay in the country. They don't want to return home empty-handed. The path of crime may be a source of quick money, but it is also a dangerous route and may lead to imprisonment and deportation after the prison term ends, with shame and no money.

I believe that there is an important role for the ministry of social affairs and the public authority for manpower to open the all files and make surprise inspection visits to companies to check if all their workers really work there or not. Thank you to Farwaniya security for the great effort. You have done well and saved an innocent life from harm, but this case will not be the last if there is no move by other parties.

By Muna Al-Fuzai

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