In recent years, Qatar has intensified its efforts to combat corruption and other related offences.
Eight individuals were arrested by the Search and Follow-up Department at the Ministry of Interior over the weekend for allegedly duping citizens with false promises of financial gains.
The scammers set up dummy companies to deceive people in violation of the law, the ministry said in a tweet.
“The Search and Follow-up Department managed to apprehend eight people for defrauding citizens and deceiving them of obtaining material profits through the establishment of dummy companies,” the statement read.
During the operation, authorities discovered stamps and counterfeit documents that were being used for illegal transactions.
The group and the seized items were referred to the Public Prosecution for further legal proceedings, the statement added.
No further information has been released regarding the identity of the suspects or whether any compensation will be made to the victims.
Last month, a similar operation led to the arrest of nine individuals in connection with a widespread visa fraud scheme that targeted dozens of people.
The suspects, of Arab and Asian descent, were implicated in the establishment of bogus firms designed specifically for visa trading, the ministry said at the time.
The individuals ran their operations largely through social media platforms and several Document Clearance Offices, where their discreditable activities were later detected by Qatari authorities.
Subsequent raids discovered a total of over QAR 190,000 in cash, alongside falsified company documents, rental agreements, Qatari citizens’ ID cards, prepaid bank cards, and bank cards belonging to the migrant workers who were the victims of the visa scam.
Qatar has cracked down on corruption and other such crimes over the past years.
Earlier this month, Qatar’s Public Prosecution referred 16 suspects, including four employees from Hamad Medical Corporation, to criminal court for their alleged involvement in various illegal activities, including bribery, Qatar News Agency reported.
These activities comprise “bribery, misuse of authority, misappropriation of public funds, infringement of tender-related freedom and safety, and engaging in money laundering,” a statement read.
An investigation found the employees took advantage of their positions within Hamad Medical Corporation by showing preferential treatment to specific companies owned by the other defendants, the statement added.
Most notably in 2021, Qatar’s former financial minister, Ali Shareef El-Emadi was arrested over allegations of abuse of power and misuse of public funds.
At the time, Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani swiftly replaced El Emadi with Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, the former Minister of Trade and Industry.
Corruption watchdog Transparency International ranks Qatar among the least corrupt in the region in 2020, with a score of 63 out of 100.
