The General Administration of Customs said in a statement that its officers at the Air Cargo Customs Department selected a shipment arriving from Thailand for inspection after it raised suspicions. The consignment had been declared as containing a table and lighting fixtures. Examination revealed around 10 kilograms of marijuana hidden inside a box of lighting decoration cartons, placed beneath the legitimate items in what the statement described as a professional concealment.
Following the discovery, the General Administration of Customs coordinated with the General Administration for Drug and Alcohol Control. An Indian national was arrested while he attempted to receive the shipment. The customs authority referred both the suspect and the seized narcotics to the relevant authorities to begin legal proceedings.
Ministry of Interior figures show that drug smuggling cases declined from 102 in the first half of 2025 to 15 in the first half of 2026. Brigadier General Mohammad Qabazard told the Kuwait News Agency that drug trafficking cases dropped from 354 to 184 during the same periods. The director general attributed the reductions to the ministry’s strategy focused on preemptive operations against smuggling and distribution networks.
A Kuwait News Agency press release from June 2025 detailed a separate seizure that netted nearly 33 kilograms of hashish and 17 kilograms of marijuana packed into suitcases. That operation formed part of a series of interdictions conducted at multiple ports of entry during that period. The General Administration of Customs has recorded several comparable air cargo cases in recent years.
The General Administration of Customs operates scanning equipment and trained inspection teams at air, sea and land facilities across Kuwait. Data compiled by the authority indicate that shipments from various international origins continue to feature in smuggling attempts. The administration applies risk-based profiling to identify suspicious consignments among routine cargo volumes.
In its statement on the July 20 incident, the General Administration of Customs noted its continued inspections at all ports. The authority has handled multiple narcotics seizures through the first half of 2026 as enforcement activities proceed. Officials transferred the latest case files to prosecutors for further action.
