Inspectors from the General Administration of Customs at Kuwait Airport’s Terminal 5 uncovered 93 Lyrica tablets and 99 Tramadol tablets concealed inside boxes of dietary supplements. The discovery came after the officials grew suspicious of a traveler’s belongings and conducted a thorough search, revealing the psychotropic substances listed under controlled schedules. The individual was taken into custody, with both the person and the seized items immediately transferred to the General Department for Combating Drugs and Alcohol to face legal consequences.
In its official statement, the customs administration emphasized the role of its inspectors’ alertness in detecting such evasion tactics aimed at circumventing regulatory checks. The authority noted that these efforts form part of sustained operations to secure borders against illicit inflows. Maintaining this level of scrutiny remains essential for protecting the nation from the harms associated with drug trafficking.
Pregabalin, marketed as Lyrica, along with Tramadol, fall under Kuwait’s strict controls on psychotropic and narcotic medications. According to a security alert issued by the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait in December 2025, all incoming travelers must obtain prior approval from Kuwaiti authorities to import such drugs, even for personal medical needs. Quantities are capped at supplies for 15 to 30 days, and uncertified items risk confiscation upon arrival.
This small-scale interception occurs against the backdrop of significantly larger drug seizures in recent months. The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior detailed in August 2026 the confiscation of pregabalin valued at nearly $485 million, including five tonnes in powder form and close to four million capsules along with a clandestine manufacturing site. That case represented what authorities described as the largest drugs bust in the country’s history.
Similar concealment strategies have surfaced in prior customs operations at the airport. Interim manager statements from 2022 described the discovery of 41 kilograms of powdered Lyrica distributed across five shipments also masked as food supplements. Such patterns have driven intensified training programs for customs staff to better identify disguised contraband.
Coordination with the anti-narcotics department ensures prompt follow-up on every detection at the border. The General Administration of Customs continues to deploy advanced scanning equipment and manual inspections to counter evolving smuggling techniques. Officials maintain that these combined measures contribute to reducing the availability of unregulated substances within Kuwait.
