The General Directorate of Coast Guard announced that its Maritime Security Department led a field campaign at Naq’at Shamlan in Kuwait City’s eastern region. The operation brought together multiple agencies including the Public Security Directorate, General Fire Force, Environmental Police Department, Environment Public Authority and Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources. Teams inspected the area, verified personal identities and monitored for regulatory breaches as part of efforts to maintain maritime order.
According to the directorate’s statement, personnel investigated 152 individuals and confirmed their identities during the sweep. The announcement detailed the discovery of 32 abandoned vessels that were subsequently referred to the relevant authorities for appropriate handling. This step forms part of systematic measures to address derelict craft that can impede navigation and harm the marine environment.
The campaign also uncovered three violations under the purview of the General Fire Force, the directorate reported. Two people were taken into custody after being found under the influence of intoxicating substances. One additional individual was arrested on the basis of an existing warrant, with all cases triggering standard legal and administrative procedures within each agency’s jurisdiction.
This action continues a pattern of enforcement highlighted in earlier directives from the Ministry of Interior. A 2024 notice published in the Official Gazette required owners of abandoned vessels along areas such as the Ashirj coast to provide ownership documentation and condition reports or risk bearing the costs of removal, according to the General Directorate of Coast Guard. The Environment Public Authority has enforced related provisions under Law No. 42 of 2014 to curb coastal pollution from such wrecks.
The operation coincides with ongoing upgrades to the Coast Guard’s surveillance infrastructure. Project Vigilant, a system contracted in 2024 for $213 million with SRT Marine Systems, equips the force with radar towers, buoys and unmanned vessels to detect pollution, smuggling and unauthorized maritime activity, a January 2026 review in The Naval Architect found. These tools enable continuous monitoring across Kuwait’s territorial waters and support the kind of targeted campaigns now underway.
The General Directorate of Coast Guard stated that it will sustain similar collaborative field operations with partner agencies. Such initiatives aim to identify infractions, uphold maritime laws and strengthen safety standards across Kuwaiti waters. The directorate emphasized the importance of interagency cooperation in achieving these objectives.
