Kuwait court hands death sentence to 3 in drug cases

If you’ve ever ordered shoes, clothes or anything else from abroad and waited for it to clear customs in Kuwait, this is the kind of case that explains why those checks take time. Officials here are watching international parcels closely, and a new court ruling shows exactly why.

The Second Circuit of the Criminal Court has sentenced three people to death in two separate drug cases. Two of them are Lebanese nationals, and one is an Indian national. All three cases came out of work by Kuwait’s Anti-Narcotics Unit, the same unit behind last month’s referral of 205 people to court over drug offences.

What happened in the Lebanese nationals’ case

The court convicted the two Lebanese nationals of trafficking and consuming a mixture of hashish and psychotropic substances. The case was built on investigations by the Anti-Narcotics Unit, the Kuwaiti police team dealing with drug crimes across the country.

The source report doesn’t give the date of arrest, the amount of drugs involved, or where in Kuwait the operation took place. Those details may come out as the case moves through appeal.

How the shoe shipment case unfolded

The second case is the more unusual one. According to case details, the accused allegedly tried to bring 100 sheets soaked with psychotropic substances into Kuwait. These sheets were hidden inside a carton that was meant to look like it just held shoes, sent through an international shipment.

Customs authorities working with the Anti-Narcotics Unit caught the attempt before it reached the accused. That cooperation led to the arrest. It’s a similar method to one we’ve seen before: as reported on 1 November, drugs were found hidden inside a child’s chair shipped from Canada. Smugglers keep trying to hide substances inside everyday objects sent through the post or cargo, and Kuwait customs keeps catching them.

The court sentenced the Indian national to death over this attempt. As with the first case, the full timeline of the arrest and the investigation isn’t detailed in the court statement.

So what happens next?

Both rulings go through Kuwait’s standard appeal process for criminal judgments. A death sentence from the Criminal Court is not the end of the legal road. It typically goes to the Court of Cassation and can be reviewed further, so these sentences could still be changed or upheld over the coming months.

This is a pattern we’ve been tracking. Kuwait’s courts have handed down several death sentences in drug cases recently, including an expat sentenced to death for heroin trafficking in October. Authorities have also made large seizures, such as 300,000 Captagon pills found hidden in a truck tyre near Kabd. Together, these cases point to a sustained push against drug trafficking through Kuwait’s ports, borders and postal system.

What this means for people living in Kuwait

For most residents, this case is a reminder rather than a direct worry. Kuwait treats drug trafficking and possession as serious crimes, with the death penalty as a possible sentence for trafficking offences. Anyone shipping goods into Kuwait should expect customs to open and inspect parcels, especially ones from abroad.

If you’re an expat or citizen receiving international shipments regularly, this case is a good reason to only use shipping companies and sellers you trust. Even an innocent buyer can face a long, stressful process if a package they receive turns out to contain something illegal, even without their knowledge.

For families and communities connected to the nationalities involved, cases like this can feel heavy. It’s worth remembering that courts here judge individuals, not communities, and the vast majority of residents from any background have nothing to do with these crimes.

You can find more local news from Kuwait on cases like this, including other recent drug-related arrests and court outcomes, such as a case in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh involving children used to hide drug drops.

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