KUWAIT: A Zimbabwean woman and a female citizen who runs a domestic help office in Hawally were sent to criminal detectives before being sent to the public prosecution in charge of human trafficking. The charges were brought against them after the domestic help administration completed a full report about the Zimbabwean woman and the office owner's involvement in huge human trafficking racket.

They allegedly lured scores of Zimbabwean women into Kuwait to work in good jobs for salaries ranging between $750 - $1000. But when they arrive, their passports would be taken away and they would be forced to work as maids for salaries as low as KD 70, though many of them have good qualifications.

A security source said that the arrest of the Zimbabwean woman came following serious efforts by domestic help administration and after receiving instructions to find facts about international complaints regarding workers being brought from Zimbabwe and involving them in jobs including prostitution. The department rescued all Zimbabwean women and found out that their number is 350. The source said 180 of them were summoned for questioning and allowed them to leave the country without any hassles.

The source said that Director of the Domestic Help Administration suspected a Zimbabwean woman of being member of the human trafficking network. He said the administration noticed that the Zimbabwean embassy was insisting on deporting the woman quickly. However, the repatriation process was stopped and she was questioned. She reportedly confessed to being one of the network members. She said that she used to go to her country to convince women to come to Kuwait for salaries of $750 - $1000, and that they would work in hospitals. But when they arrive, their passports would be forfeited and that would be forced to work as domestic helpers in cooperation with the office owner. She said that she receives money in exchange of bringing women to the country.

Expat questioned

Interior Ministry Assistant Undersecretary for General Security Affairs Maj Gen Ibrahim Al-Tarrah sent a Frenchman of a north African origin to state security for questioning. However, he will be allowed to go to Saudi Arabia for Umra.

A security source said police that they received a call from worshippers from a mosque in Daiya area about a person who was found in suspicious behavior and was noticed praying in a strange manner. He was wearing a short dishdasha and a beard. So they suspected him of some Daesh connection. The source said preliminary interrogations revealed that the Frenchman came to Kuwait two days ago on his way to perform Umra.

Bedoon girl in hospital

A bedoon girl was admitted to the ICU after she ingested six vials into her body in an attempt to reduce her weight.  A gastric lavage was performed on her to clear her stomach. A security source said that Jahra hospital investigator told the security directorate that a girl was brought by her brother thinking she attempted suicide. But following questioning of her family members, it was found out that she attempted to reduce her weight so that she would get a good-looking body before her graduation. However, but she suffered a sharp drop in her blood pressure and collapsed.

KD 12,000 stolen

A citizen told Sharq police that KD 12,000 disappeared from his car at a car wash station. He said the money, which he just withdrew from a bank was in the car. But the money disappeared when the workers finished the wash. In another case, criminal evidence experts went to Salmiya fire center to investigate the theft of KD 800 following a complaint from the head of the center Major Yousuf Al-Qallaf.