The Ministry of Interior detailed in a statement the successful operation by the General Department of Criminal Investigation, represented by the Al-Ahmadi Investigations Department, which led to the detention of the two men engaged in unauthorized sand extraction. The suspects were monitored while using heavy machinery to remove sand without permission from state-owned territory in the desert region of Al-Wafra. Officers seized three pieces of equipment at the scene consisting of two transport trucks and one excavator.
According to the ministry’s statement, one of the trucks had been rented for 141 dinars per month while the excavator carried a monthly rental cost of 193 dinars. The individuals confessed following their apprehension that they had been removing the sand, transporting it and selling it to owners of farms in the Al-Wafra area at a rate of 15 dinars per transaction. They admitted to pocketing the revenue for their personal use as part of the illegal enterprise.
The operation forms part of sustained security campaigns to safeguard state assets and prevent violations against public property, the ministry emphasized. In a related development reported by the ministry in May 2026, four expats including one Syrian were detained in the Al-Salmi desert for similar unauthorized soil extraction activities that involved two heavy machines. Such incidents highlight recurring challenges in monitoring remote desert areas where natural resources remain vulnerable to exploitation.
The Ministry of Interior classified the theft of sand and other natural resources as an attack on public funds, noting that these materials constitute national wealth belonging exclusively to the state. Under provisions of Law No. 1 of 1993, actions meeting the elements of seizing or facilitating the seizure of public money are treated as felonies rather than ordinary misdemeanors. The statement reaffirmed that security agencies will persist in pursuing all forms of encroachment on state lands.
Investigators referred the two Syrian suspects along with the impounded machinery to the appropriate legal authorities for further proceedings, the ministry reported. This case adds to a series of enforcement actions taken in recent years against illegal sand mining operations across various governorates. Previous efforts have included major prosecutions that imposed substantial penalties on those convicted of large-scale thefts.
The ministry has previously noted through its public communications that protecting environmental resources forms a key component of broader national security priorities. Similar busts have occurred periodically, demonstrating the authorities’ commitment to addressing the issue through coordinated patrols and intelligence gathering in high-risk zones. The latest arrests serve as a reminder of the legal consequences associated with tampering with state-owned natural assets.
