Mandoub Warns: report crimes or face deportation

If you work as a guard or caretaker in a Kuwait building, this warning is for you. Kuwait’s security forces say your job is not just to watch the gate. You are now expected to report crimes happening inside the property, or you could be deported yourself.

The warning comes from an official in the security forces, speaking to Arab Times Kuwait, as authorities keep up raids on illegal home kitchens and other outlets across the country. It’s a reminder that staying quiet about what happens in your building can cost you your residency.

What exactly are guards expected to do?

According to the security official, a guard’s job covers more than locking doors and checking visitors. Guards must report violations they see or suspect inside the building, no matter who is involved.

This includes anything illegal happening on the premises, from gambling dens to unlicensed businesses operating out of flats. If a guard knows about this kind of activity and says nothing, the official warned, the guard can be held responsible too.

What happens if a guard stays silent?

The consequences are serious. A guard who fails to report illegal activity can face administrative deportation, the official said. This is separate from any criminal case against the people actually running the illegal activity.

On top of deportation, the guard’s name could be added to a list that stops them coming back into Kuwait. The official also warned this could limit the person’s chances of entering or finding work in other GCC countries. That’s a heavy price for staying quiet about something happening in someone else’s flat.

This warning hasn’t come out of nowhere. It matters more right now, and the reason is explained below.

Why is this warning coming now?

Kuwait has been running a wave of security operations lately, targeting illegal gambling spots and other vice dens. Just this past week, authorities shut down seven illegal home kitchens and issued 33 violations, and police have also been carrying out sweeps in areas like Jahra, where officers arrested a wanted suspect during a security campaign in late October.

Guards and caretakers are often the people who see the most activity in a building day to day. Security forces appear to see them as a useful line of defence, and this warning puts the responsibility for reporting squarely on their shoulders.

What this means for people living in Kuwait

For building guards and caretakers, the message is simple: if you see something illegal happening in your building, report it to the authorities. Looking the other way is no longer a safe option, even if you had nothing to do with the activity yourself.

For landlords and building owners, this is also a reminder to check who is doing what inside their property. If illegal activity is uncovered and traced back to a unit, both tenants and the people managing the building could end up facing questions.

For residents in general, this ties into Kuwait’s wider push to track down people who break the rules and then try to disappear. Kuwait has also been working on linking deportee fingerprint data electronically with other GCC countries, which means a deportation record here can follow someone across the region. You can read more on this in our local news coverage.

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