Authorities in Kuwait have arrested two Nigerian men suspected of carrying out an armed robbery at an exchange office in the Mahboula district, south of Kuwait City. The suspects were apprehended within 24 hours of the incident, according to a statement released by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior on Wednesday.
The suspects allegedly stole foreign currencies equivalent to 4,600 Kuwaiti Dinars, valued at approximately $14,918.69, during the robbery. A short 35-second video of the incident, shared by Arab Times Online, shows one of the suspects exiting a white car and entering the exchange office. In the footage, the man, wearing a hooded top, is seen pointing what appears to be a gun at the office staff before the robbery takes place.
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Robbery Planned in Detail
Investigations revealed that the suspects carefully planned the heist. According to the Kuwaiti authorities, the duo monitored the exchange office from nearby rooftops to determine the busiest times for the operation. They also used stolen license plates to avoid being traced.
“The gang meticulously planned the crime, monitoring the exchange offices from nearby rooftops to identify peak times. They also used stolen licence plates to conceal the identities of the vehicles involved in the operation,” the Ministry of Interior stated.
One of the suspects reportedly confessed after his arrest in Mahboula, admitting that he had surveyed the area and alerted his accomplice when the office was clear of customers. The second suspect was arrested at the Al-Qurain Market.
During a search of the second suspect’s residence, authorities recovered the stolen money along with a small bag containing crystal meth, a narcotic substance. The Ministry of Interior confirmed that the suspects and the recovered items have been handed over to the public prosecution for further legal action.
History of Nigerians Involved in Crimes Abroad
This incident is not the first time Nigerians have been implicated in crimes abroad. In 2019, a group of Nigerians was caught on video carrying out an armed robbery in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. That same year, a Nigerian woman and three men from other countries were executed for drug trafficking offences in Saudi Arabia.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the current Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, previously highlighted the challenges of Nigerians involved in crimes overseas. During an interview in Abuja, she stated that the executed woman was the eighth Nigerian to face execution for drug-related offences in Saudi Arabia over three years.