Dubai: A strict federal UAE law needs to be put in place in order to enforce a united front against the illegal trading of exotic animals and wildlife, said an animal specialist.
“On a global front, the two international crimes related to smuggling are arms and drugs, and animal smuggling comes in at third,” said Dr Reza Khan, a specialist in wildlife and zoo management at Dubai Municipality.
“Even though the trend has gone down in the last 20 years, there is still a demand for such exotic animals and that is the main reason why the trade continues,” he said.
“Each emirate has its own rules that specifically state that buying exotic species is illegal but a federal one does not exist. And that is why it is easy for a person to smuggle it into one emirate, and then roam around with it freely from one place to another because the authorities do not check people’s cars,” Dr Khan explained.
