Sharjah Police arrest man on suspicion of being involved in illegal animal trading

Animals released into nature reserve by authorities

Animals, including lynxes and foxes, were transferred to a nature reserve by police in Sharjah. Photo: Sharjah Police

Police in Sharjah arrested a man as part of a sting operation into the illegal trade of animals in the emirate.

The arrest took place as a result of a “carefully planned sting operation that led to the confiscation of several protected animals listed under international conventions”, including a number of endangered lynxes and foxes, the police said on Sunday.

These species are prohibited from being traded or possessed without special authorisation, police added. The animals were released into nature reserves in co-ordination with the Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. The suspect was referred to the Public Prosecution for further legal action.

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Sharjah Police repeated its commitment to tackling such practices that pose a threat to environmental balance, urging the public to co-operate and report any suspected cases of possessing or trading in protected species.

Enforcement measures

The UAE has strengthened its law enforcement against the illegal wildlife trade.

Through initiatives such as Emirates SkyCargo's IEnvA certification and collaboration with customs and police, greater powers have been granted to intercept illegal shipments.

The Emirates has also signed up to the Buckingham Palace Declaration, an agreement committed to shutting down routes exploited by traffickers of illegal wildlife products.

The measure has already seen success.