By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: The hashtag of the interior ministry started trending on Twitter after Kuwait recently witnessed a spate of crimes and murders, which worried many citizens and residents. Within no time, MoI became one of the top trending hashtags on Twitter. People are alarmed due to the rise in crimes on one hand, and the changing patterns of how they are committed on the other. Security sources warned that 72 percent of murders, aggressive behaviors and thefts are due to drug addiction.

MP Khaled Al-Mounes said interior ministry statistics on drug abuse need legislation in which all ministries and authorities participate. "Drugs made a mother kill her son, and led a son to kill his parents. Serious actions must be taken," he alleged. "There is a need to intensify penalties and speed up their implementation, especially against drug dealers and distributors."

Lawyer Khaled Al-Awadhi called on the judicial authority in a tweet to apply the maximum punishment against drug traffickers, abusers and dealers. Likewise, the head of the Kuwaiti Federation of Restaurants, Cafes and Catering Services Fahd Al-Arbash tweeted: "The ministry of interior and its forces are not negligent. Many countries worldwide have witnessed a doubling of murders, crimes, drugs and thefts. Detectives, state security, and the interior ministry are working around the clock and arresting criminals the next day of the crime. We only need execution gallows at Naif Palace."

Citizen Mohammad Zainal tweeted: "There must be random checkpoints every month or random drug tests every two months in ministries, schools, universities and even in streets. Why until now we haven't witnessed an execution of a drug dealer?" Another Kuwaiti Hamed Al-Sahban complained how unsafe Kuwait has become, saying: "It is annoying when you feel unsafe in your own country. There must be a solution as soon as possible and drug dealers must be sentenced to death."

Citizen Mohammed Al-Suwait tweeted: "The crime rate has frighteningly increased on the streets of Kuwait, and the main reason is substance abuse. The solution is to conduct annual drug tests of students and employees, tighten control over customs, and publish drug smugglers' names in newspapers."

Al-Anoud appealed to the interior ministry to save citizens from criminals, affirming that the country needs drug tests. "We are afraid to go out alone. A mother kills her son... and a husband is stabbed for defending his wife, and the excuse is either 'drug abuse' or 'psychiatric problems'! Kuwait has become unsafe," she tweeted. Sara Al-Nejadah wondered in a tweet: "How could you leave children in the custody of a drug addict who already has a criminal record? The mother is an addict - how is she not under supervision? The ministry of interior has fallen short of its duty."