Kuwaiti authorities arrested six Russians who have been involved for more than one year in stealing jewellery from shops and houses by using professionals to open their doors, newspapers in the Gulf emirate said on Monday.
A Russian woman headed the gang and used experts from her country to unlock the doors of shops or houses whose inhabitants leave on holidays or go out at night to burgle them, targeting only gold and other jewelry.
The woman’s husband had brought the experts on visit visas and this explained the absence of any known finger prints on the locks of targeted places as visitors are not required to give their fingerprints.
“Acting on a tip-off, police raided a jewellery shop which bought many stolen items from the gang,” Alwatan newspaper said.
“The gang leader was arrested at the airport as she decided to leave the country when she learned that shop was raided…police seized her at the airport with a large quantity of gold and other jewellery... her accomplices have been arrested and police are looking for more suspects.”
The paper said the gang had robbed a large number of houses and shops and that the stolen items are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.