By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: A family flat in Salmiya was burgled a few days ago, with valuables including jewelry and cash stolen. The incident was posted on Facebook and garnered the attention of netizens. Kuwait Times found the flat where the robbery took place in block 12 in Salmiya and spoke to Bint Asadullah, the victim of the robbery.

"It took place on Friday evening between 8:00 pm and 10:40 pm - that was the time I went out with my husband to buy something. When we returned, the flat was dark and the door was ajar. I instinctively realized we were robbed, so I immediately went to our room and found all my jewelry was stolen along with some of our hard-earned money," Asadullah said.

"We went to Salmiya police station and reported the theft. Police immediately came to our place to check and lift fingerprints from the door and the place where I had hidden my valuables. I am very sad because the jewelry that was stolen was gifted to us during our wedding. Now there is nothing left in my jewelry box," she rued.

On the same day, according to Asadullah, police told them another flat nearby was also burgled. "I think the gang of thieves came to our flat after they robbed that flat. I hope the police will be able to arrest the thieves soon. This is scary - I had heard many things like this happening in block 10 in Salmiya, but not in block 12," said Asadullah.

The burglars knock on the door, and if no one replies, they break the door and enter the house. "They easily broke the lock of our flat and entered it. They removed everything from the cupboard and ransacked all the drawers and shelves. They took what they thought was valuable and left," Asadullah told Kuwait Times.

"Maybe the robber is not acting alone, and there are more than one. I hope with this story, you will be able to help many expats, to serve as a warning to be careful and keep your belongings secure. Better ask the building to install CCTV cameras, because in our building there are none. We got CCTV footage from a nearby salon, which hardly revealed the faces of the thieves," she said.

The building haris also isn't aware of who visits the building. "That is also a problem, as we only have one haris. He is a kindly person and not very strict about the people going in and out of the building," Asadullah said, adding she doesn't know whether the building owner will now consider installing cameras after the robbery.

Asadullah advised keeping a minimum amount of cash and gold at home. "If you are planning to keep valuable things, buy a safe. Also, store the valuables on a high shelf at the back or in places that are inaccessible, because thieves do not spend a lot of time in the house. Ask your haris and neighbors to be vigilant at all times. Also, look for a building with CCTV cameras on all floors so that robbers think twice before they break into houses," she said. A few months ago, a string of thefts in Salmiya saw clothes left to dry on racks being stolen, along with shoes and plants from the front doors of flats.