Watch: Kuwait foils plot to undermine state security, arrests 24 citizens

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Authorities in Kuwait announced on Saturday, April 11, thwarting a plot aimed at undermining national security and financing terrorist entities and groups, as part of a security operation that resulted in arresting 24 Kuwaitis.

In a statement, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior revealed that the arrested, one of whom had his nationality revoked, were found in possession of sums of money linked to illicit activities

The State Security apparatus tracked and identified eight other citizens who had fled abroad, including one whose nationality had been revoked, as part of an organized operation involving the collection of funds under religious pretexts. They received and held the money in preparation for transferring it in accordance with instructions from outside the country.

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These funds were collected by the group out of trust placed in those responsible for gathering them, on the basis that they would be directed to their declared purposes.

"This led contributors to provide the money in good faith, driven by legitimate motives and sincere intent. However, investigations revealed that the actual use of the funds deviated from what had been declared at the time of collection, as they were redirected to illegitimate entities," the ministry said in its statement.

The authorities shared the following video that shows photos of the apprehended as well as photos of Iranian leaders. Watch here:

Investigations in the case also found that the accused used fake commercial and professional entities to channel the funds, and employed meticulous methods in transferring them by distributing the money among multiple individuals to transport it by air and land in an attempt to avoid suspicion.

More investigations in the case are underway to uncover others involved in the scheme and legal action has been taken against the arrested, the authority clarified.

The Ministry of Interior affirmed that it will continue, with full resolve, to thwart any schemes that threaten the country’s security or exploit its territory to support terrorist entities or groups.