You drop off a bag of old clothes or a used fridge for a charity drive, thinking it’s going to a family that needs it. That’s the trust this whole case is built on breaking.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior says five men ran exactly that kind of operation for months, using a genuine charity’s own donation line to collect goods, then quietly selling them instead.
The Criminal Security Sector’s General Department of Criminal Investigation made the arrests after a tip-off led detectives in Jahra Governorate to dig into how one furniture-moving company was getting such a steady supply of second-hand goods.
The short version
- Three Syrians and two Egyptians were arrested over an alleged charity donation scam.
- A furniture-moving company is accused of renting a charity organisation’s website and phone number through one of its own employees, without the charity’s knowledge.
- Donors were allegedly misled into giving clothing, electronics, furniture and food believing it would go to a real charitable project.
- The Ministry of Interior estimates the scheme generated around KD60,000 a month before it was shut down.
How the scam is said to have worked
According to the Ministry of Interior, investigators from the Jahra Governorate Criminal Investigation Department, working through the Sulaibiya Investigation Office, found that a furniture-moving company had got hold of a charitable organisation’s donation website and telephone number. This was done through an employee of the charity, allegedly without the knowledge of the organisation’s members.
Once they controlled that line, the suspects allegedly used it to take in donations the normal way: people calling in or visiting the site, believing they were giving to a legitimate charitable project. What they were actually handing over, authorities say, was clothing, electronics, furniture and food that ended up with the suspects rather than with anyone in need.
The ministry said the group allegedly used several representatives to physically collect the donated goods from people, before reselling the items in local markets or exporting them abroad for profit, instead of channelling the donations towards the purposes they were collected for.
Investigators say this wasn’t a one-off. The alleged activity was repeated under cover of the same charitable project, and the ministry estimates it brought in roughly KD60,000 a month at its peak.
Where the goods ended up
Authorities traced the operation to a warehouse in the Amghara area, which was identified as the storage point for the collected items. The ministry said the necessary measures were taken regarding everything seized there, and that the legal procedures required against those involved have been completed.
What this means if you donate in Kuwait
For residents who regularly give to charity drives, in cash or in kind, this case is a reminder to check who’s actually on the other end of a donation number before handing anything over. A legitimate-sounding project name or a familiar-looking website isn’t proof the organisation itself is running it.
If you want to be cautious, it’s worth confirming directly with a charity’s official head office or a verified social media account before dropping off goods, especially with groups you’ve never dealt with before. This case also sits alongside other recent financial crime cases in Kuwait, including a court case where eight expats were jailed over money laundering, showing authorities have been actively pursuing financial crime cases this year.
Quick answers
Who was arrested?
Three Syrian nationals and two Egyptian nationals, according to the Ministry of Interior.
Was the charity itself involved?
No. The ministry said the organisation’s own members were unaware their website and phone number were being used this way, and that one employee was allegedly behind giving access to the furniture-moving company.
What happens to the seized goods?
The ministry said necessary measures were taken concerning the items found at the Amghara warehouse, though further details on their return or disposal weren’t given.
If you’ve donated to a charity drive recently and want to double-check it’s legitimate, it doesn’t hurt to ask a few questions before you hand anything over. Has something like this happened to you or someone you know? Let us know in the comments.