Oman foils bid to smuggle endangered spiny-tailed lizards through Muscat airport

Dubai: Omani authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle endangered Omani spiny-tailed lizards through Muscat International Airport, arresting a suspect accused of trying to illegally export the protected reptiles.

The Environment Authority said the operation was carried out in coordination with the Royal Oman Police and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources.

The suspect was apprehended while attempting to transport the endangered species, which is protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The authority said the attempted smuggling breached Oman's Law Regulating Wildlife Trade, adding that legal proceedings had been initiated against the suspect under the country's environmental protection legislation.

It urged the public to comply with wildlife protection laws and regulations and to refrain from trading in or harming endangered species, warning that violations are punishable by law.