Passengers transiting through Dubai caught with African ivory

The culprits denied knowing they were carrying illegal African elephant tusks in their bags.

The General Department of Airports Security (GDAS) at Dubai Police has seized 16 pieces of African elephant tusks banned for trade by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites).

The ivory was found on airline passengers coming from an African country via Dubai. Police officers became suspicious and searched two bags, finding the banned items within. Under interrogation, the passengers confessed that an African gave them the bags to deliver to someone the passengers’ home country in return for US$500 per bag. They denied any knowledge of what was in the bag, and said the person who made the offer said there were no banned items inside. He said he wanted the bags delivered quickly and could not travel himself.

Colonel Saeed Al Muhairi, acting director of the GDAS, said that Dubai Police were committed to fighting the illicit trade in endangered animals and plants in line with international law.

He added that there was constant cooperation between Dubai Police and the Ministry of Environment and Water, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare-Middle East and North Africa. The agencies coordinate to halt the illicit trade of endangered species, especially elephant ivory, raise passengers awareness of the severity of the actions. Statistics show that thousands of elephants are killed annually and agencies warned that if the trend continues, elephants could be extinct in 10 years.