Seven individuals, including three Nepali nationals, have been arrested in Kuwait for operating an illegal liquor manufacturing facility inside a house in the Al-Wafra residential area. The Ahmadi Governorate Security Directorate apprehended the suspects, who also include four Indian nationals, for managing the illicit operation.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior confirmed the arrests on October 22, 2026, stating that security forces seized 820 liquor bottles, 110 barrels of liquor, two knives, and two vehicles used for distribution during the raid. All seven suspects and the seized items have been referred to the relevant authorities for legal action.
The arrests followed a routine patrol near the Al-Wafra Cooperative Society, where officers stopped a vehicle traveling against traffic. Upon inspection, bags containing liquor bottles were found inside the car. The driver confessed that the bottles contained locally manufactured alcohol and revealed he had obtained them from a house in the Al-Wafra residential area. This confession led security forces to raid the identified location and uncover the illegal production facility.
Background on liquor prohibition in Kuwait
Kuwait maintains a strict prohibition on the import, production, and consumption of alcohol. Despite these laws, an illicit liquor trade persists, particularly in areas with large expatriate populations. This is not the first such incident; in August 2025, 23 people died and over 160 fell ill in Kuwait due to toxic alcohol consumption. That incident prompted the Ministry of Interior to arrest 67 individuals involved in illegal alcohol production and sales, including several Nepali, Indian, and one Bangladeshi national.
In September 2026, the Criminal Security Affairs Sector in Kuwait also arrested four Indian nationals for operating an illegal liquor factory in the Jahra area.
Nepali Embassy urges caution
There are approximately 186,000 Nepali citizens residing in Kuwait as of August 3, 2026, with 115,000 in the private sector, 421 in the public sector, and 68,900 working as domestic helpers. Although Nepal has banned sending domestic workers to Gulf countries, thousands of Nepalis continue to work in Kuwait through informal channels.
The Nepali Embassy in Kuwait and the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) have repeatedly urged Nepali citizens to avoid involvement in illegal activities such as alcohol production, sale, and consumption. According to the embassy, more than half of the Nepalis currently serving jail sentences in Kuwait are incarcerated for alcohol and drug-related offenses. In August 2025, 12 Nepali citizens died and around 30 received treatment after consuming toxic alcohol in Kuwait.
Next steps and unknowns
The seven arrested suspects and the confiscated items have been handed over to the appropriate authorities for necessary legal proceedings. The names of the arrested individuals have not been released, and it remains unclear under which specific Kuwaiti laws they will be prosecuted. The Nepali Embassy has not yet issued an official statement regarding this particular incident.
