KUWAIT: Drugs and liquor seized in Kuwait in 2018 recorded an unprecedented rise, raising a red flag for all those concerned, Al-Qabas reported yesterday. An informed source said the drugs weighed 1,489 kg, 1,264 kg of which was hashish, 61 kg of shabu (methamphetamine), 2 kg opium, 69 kg marijuana, 1.250 kg cocaine, 27 kg heroin, 41 kg qat, 24 kg 'chemical' (synthetic marijuana with added chemicals), 26 million illicit tablets and 49,000 liquor bottles.

The source said contacts are being made with the Iraqi and Iranian sides to control the border, indicating the lack of strict supervision at the Iraqi borders, which smugglers are taking advantage of. He said Kuwait's territorial waters between Iraq and Iran are considered a hotbed of activity by organized gangs. He said the confiscated amounts indicate the existence of loopholes at Kuwait's border outlets despite the advanced systems that were installed to discover drugs.

Detective killed
A detective at the weapons collection department was killed when a bullet penetrated his abdomen and exited from his back while he was cleaning his pistol at home, Al-Rai reported yesterday. The body was recovered by the coroner and investigations are being conducted to find out exactly what happened.

Sexual harassment
An American woman said a man approached her at a food supplement store and surprised her by touching her chest, Al-Rai reported yesterday quoting a police source. She screamed for help, prompting the suspect to escape. The suspect is a friend of the salesman at the store, and detectives are working on the case. In a separate incident in Hawally, a Filipina woman told police that the owner of a fruit and vegetable store pressed hard against her chest, but she was able to break loose. She then headed to the police station and lodged a complaint. A police source said the victim complained of severe pain and was taken to hospital. Separately, a Syrian man working at a women's garments store touched sensitive parts of a Kuwaiti woman, and tried to pull her behind the counter. She screamed for help, so he let go of her. The citizen called police and told them what happened, so a patrol was sent and the woman led them to the store, where the suspect was arrested. The Syrian confessed to also behaving the same way with an expat. He was sent to the public prosecution.

Insult
The appeals court ordered a Kuwait woman to pay a nurse KD 1,000 for insulting her, reported Al-Rai. The citizen wanted her son released from the hospital without the doctor's permission, so a dispute took place with the nurse. The citizen swore at her with indecent words in front of others. - Translated by Kuwait Times from the Arabic press