The Ministry of Interior detailed that its General Administration for Drug Control executed multiple operations resulting in the detention of 13 individuals suspected of involvement in narcotics trafficking and abuse. According to the ministry the actions also produced the seizure of methamphetamine, hashish and Lyrica tablets together with an assortment of weapons. The ministry referred all suspects and the recovered materials to competent authorities for prosecution and additional inquiries. Officials described the effort as part of routine enforcement activity aimed at addressing both supply and demand elements within local markets.
Ministry of Interior figures released in June 2026 show that anti-narcotics units arrested 1,564 people in 1,200 cases during the first half of the year. A ministry assessment found that those operations yielded 323 kilograms of assorted narcotic substances in addition to more than 635,000 psychotropic pills. The latest arrests add to that total as the directorate maintains pressure on distribution networks operating inside the country. Data from the same period also recorded the confiscation of 26 firearms linked to drug activity the ministry reported.
The Ministry of Interior statement listed the seized items without providing exact weights or counts for each category. Authorities indicated that the methamphetamine, hashish and Lyrica originated from separate locations targeted in the sweep. Weapons recovered during the raids have been secured for forensic examination the ministry added. All procedural steps complied with established evidence-handling protocols.
Earlier statistics published by the Ministry of Interior placed hashish as the largest volume narcotic seized in the first six months of 2026 at 188 kilograms. The same records showed methamphetamine accounting for 36 kilograms while marijuana reached 60 kilograms during that timeframe. These benchmarks illustrate the scale against which individual operations such as the one yielding 13 arrests are measured the ministry data indicated. Psychotropic pill seizures for the period stood at 656,000 units according to the compiled figures.
The Ministry of Interior has pursued a strategy that combines targeted raids with broader monitoring of smuggling routes into Kuwait. Brigadier General Mohammed Qabazard, director of the General Administration for Drug Control, previously told the Kuwait News Agency that importation cases dropped from 102 to 15 in the first half of 2026 compared with the prior year. That reduction reflects improved intelligence coordination with customs and regional partners the ministry has maintained. The approach also encompasses public awareness initiatives designed to reduce demand.
Kuwait’s Central Statistical Bureau data places the expatriate population at more than 3.3 million individuals who form a significant portion of the labor force in sectors vulnerable to substance abuse. The Ministry of Interior has responded with deportation measures for convicted non-nationals as part of its enforcement toolkit with 614 expulsions recorded in the first half of 2026. Such steps complement the arrest operations and aim to deter cross-border trafficking activity. The ministry continues to accept family reports of addiction and routes them to treatment facilities.
