The Environment Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) in Sharjah has foiled the smuggling of several animals included within the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) on the ground borders in cooperation with the general directory of Sharjah Police.
A group of traffickers were arrested while trying to illegally import eight crocodiles and nine birds into the UAE territories.
According to Wednesday's reports, the Siamese crocodile is one of the world's rarest reptiles and listed as critically endangered. One of the birds belongs to the hornbill family and is considered one of the rarest birds on the planet, with few left in Africa and Asia's tropical forests. The second type of birds also belonged to the Hornbill species and were identified as the Helmeted Hornbill.
In line with the local and international environmental laws that prohibit the trade of endangered animals, the EPAA has fined the suspects and confiscated their IDs and the animals they had.
According to the prevailing rules in Sharjah, the fine for the possession of dangerous and predatory animals in houses or farms is Dh100,000, while the fine for transporting dangerous and predatory animals without the prior approval of the EPAA is Dh10,000.
