The Ministry of Interior directed a raid on a five-star hotel in Kuwait after intelligence indicated an unauthorized gathering with suspected moral violations. Officers discovered five men in a state of near nudity wearing women’s dancewear upon entering one of the rooms, according to a security source from the ministry. The remaining 12 individuals at the scene were also taken into custody, bringing the total to 17 arrests. All detainees were referred to the Public Prosecution for investigation into charges related to public morality and imitating the opposite sex.
The security source, speaking on the condition of anonymity as is common in such operational briefings, did not disclose the name of the hotel or the nationalities of those arrested. Similar operations have increased in frequency as authorities monitor both physical venues and online promotions that may signal illicit activities. Kuwaiti law classifies imitating the opposite sex as a punishable offense, with penalties that can reach one year in prison and fines up to 1,000 dinars.
A 2022 Gulf News report on comparable raids against massage parlours noted that multiple individuals were arrested for cross-dressing and related immoral acts, with foreign offenders facing deportation. The Ministry of Interior has conducted hundreds of such enforcement actions across hotels, apartments and commercial establishments in the past year, its compiled operational data shows. These campaigns often arise from public tips, social media monitoring and routine patrols.
In one earlier case from 2013, authorities arrested 76 people at a party involving alcohol and various stages of undress, UPI reported at the time based on accounts from local newspapers. The latest hotel raid follows a pattern of intensified security sweeps that have also addressed drug cases, residency violations and unlicensed activities in recent months. Officers in the current operation followed standard procedure by providing covering to the individuals before transport.
The Public Prosecution will now review evidence collected during the raid, including any items found at the scene, the security source added. Kuwait’s penal code supplies the legal basis for these interventions in both public and private spaces. Further updates on the case are expected once initial interrogations conclude.
