The Ministry of Interior conducted the campaign through the Farwaniya Security Directorate at the popular commercial site, focusing on individuals with outstanding warrants as well as those violating residency and labor regulations during the busy weekly trading day. The 61 detainees were processed on site with cases forwarded to relevant deportation centers or prosecution authorities for further action. The operation reflects routine enforcement activity in areas known for high volumes of informal commerce and transient workers.
A Ministry of Interior statement placed the arrests within a pattern of intensified security drives, noting that a comparable nationwide effort at the end of September netted 72 absconders, 53 residency violators, 19 criminal suspects and additional individuals wanted on other charges. That earlier campaign also produced 678 total citations including 432 traffic violations, ministry figures show. Such operations frequently incorporate coordination with Kuwait Municipality and the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition to address multiple regulatory layers simultaneously.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry separately recorded approximately 800 counterfeit products seized at the Friday Market in a February campaign, Times Kuwait reported at the time. That action targeted imitation branded shoes and handbags sold without authorization, with all cases referred to commercial prosecution. The overlapping enforcement between security and commercial regulators has become standard practice at the Al-Rai location throughout 2026.
Public Authority for Manpower records from earlier inspection rounds at the same market documented 194 labor and residency citations in a single 2016 sweep, a Kuwait Local News dispatch from the period stated. Those earlier violations spanned government employees, dependents and contract workers found operating without proper authorization. Current campaigns have maintained similar priorities while expanding the use of digital reporting tools for public tips.
Ministry of Commerce data for 2025 placed total violation reports at 9,800 nationwide, a 72.2 percent rise from the prior year according to the ministry’s compiled statistics. The increase coincided with expanded inspection teams and the launch of WhatsApp-based complaint channels that routed nearly 94 percent of 47,500 consumer submissions through electronic platforms. Friday Market has featured repeatedly in these tallies because of its scale and the mix of licensed and unlicensed stalls.
Security sources familiar with the latest operation confirmed that all 61 individuals from the recent Friday Market sweep were transferred for legal processing without further incident at the scene. The Ministry of Interior has indicated that similar targeted actions will continue at key commercial sites to deter repeat offenses and maintain regulatory compliance.
