Kuwait Police Arrest 41 People and Crush 21 Tankers in Major Diesel Theft Crackdown
Kuwait authorities have caught a big group stealing cheap government diesel and selling it to local projects. Police arrested 41 suspects on September 9, 2026, including one Kuwaiti citizen and many expat workers from India and other countries.
- 41 suspects arrested for stealing subsidized diesel
- 21 vehicles crushed by order of the Interior Minister
- Strict zero-tolerance policy enforced to protect national resources
How the Diesel Theft Ring Worked
The Capital Governorate Criminal Investigation Department found that drivers were secretly taking fuel from 38 government and private buses and trucks. They took this diesel to a secret place in the Amghara industrial area. A Kuwaiti citizen rented out tankers for this crime for KD 1,600 or about INR 4.3 lakh every month.
Strict Punishment and Vehicle Destruction
First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah ordered the destruction of 21 vehicles used in the crimes after getting permission from the prosecution. Authorities crushed 8 tankers from one case and 13 from another case. People who knowingly rented their vehicles for this theft will also face legal action.
Earlier Arrests and Warning to Workers
This strict action comes after another case in August 2026 where four Indian tower-maintenance workers were caught stealing diesel from telecom sites for two years. Kuwait has a zero-tolerance policy for fuel theft and destroys vehicles to stop others from doing it. Expat workers like drivers and mechanics from India and South Asia are warned that taking part in these crimes means arrest, getting kicked out of the country, and being blacklisted.