Kuwait arrests three for hiding e-cigarettes in food deliveries to schoolchildren

Dubai: Kuwait has arrested three people accused of selling electronic cigarettes to secondary school students by concealing them inside food orders, in a scheme that police say was designed to evade detection by parents.

The arrests followed an investigation into reports that vaping products were becoming increasingly common among some secondary school students, according to the Ministry of Interior.

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Investigators traced the alleged operation to a grocery shop where orders were received, prepared and packaged to conceal their contents before being delivered to students.

Police arrested the first suspect while he was delivering an order, after obtaining the necessary legal authorisation. Officers then raided the premises used to prepare the deliveries and detained two others.

The operation was conducted by the Capital Governorate Criminal Investigation Department, with officers from Kuwait Municipality, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition also taking part.

E-cigarettes concealed in food orders

According to the ministry, the three suspects admitted their involvement during questioning.

Two of them allegedly managed the grocery shop and prepared the orders, hiding e-cigarettes among food items to make money. The third was accused of delivering the packages despite knowing what they contained.

Authorities confiscated the seized products and issued violation notices. Legal proceedings have been initiated against the suspects ahead of their referral to the relevant authorities.

The ministry did not disclose how many students had received the products or how long the alleged operation had been running. 

Police urge parents to monitor deliveries

Following the arrests, Kuwait's Ministry of Interior warned parents that ordinary delivery services could be exploited to supply restricted products to children without attracting attention.

Parents were urged to pay closer attention to their children's online purchases and food deliveries, check what they receive from shops and maintain open conversations about the risks of smoking and vaping.

The ministry stressed that safeguarding children required cooperation between families and security authorities, and pledged to continue investigating those who attempt to exploit minors through such practices.

Kuwait tightens rules on vaping products

The arrests come ahead of stricter regulations governing tobacco and nicotine products in Kuwait, scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.

The measures will prohibit the sale of tobacco and nicotine products to anyone under 21, while restricting sales through grocery shops, online platforms and delivery services.

Sales at outlets within 200 metres of educational institutions will also be banned under the regulations, which cover electronic cigarettes, nicotine liquids and other nicotine delivery systems.