Dubai Police cracks down on illegal owners of wild animals; seize fox and monkey
Some Dubai residents voluntarily hand over wild animals kept as pets to avoid punishment
Dubai: The new police task force in Dubai to tackle the ownership of wild and dangerous animals has arrested two men who tried to illegally sell a fox and a monkey.
Colonel Khalfan Al Jallaf, Director of the Environmental Crimes Division at Dubai Police, said the two men were being monitored for a while. A trap was set up and they were arrested as they were trying to sell the two animals.
Earlier last month, the task force arrested a man who was trying to sell a wolf in the emirate. It was the first case handled by the new department of Dubai Police, established to combat crimes against wildlife, endangered species and predators.
The Environmental Crimes Section will crack down on violations related to illegal selling of animals and identify the owners in the emirate as per instructions of Lt Gen Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-In-Chief of Dubai Police.
“The department is working with Dubai Municipality to enforce Law No 22 of 2016 that regulates the possession, trading or breeding of dangerous animals,” said Al Jallaf.
According to Dubai Police, some people in Dubai handed over their wild animals to avoid legal liability. “The animals were received by Dubai Municipality to provide shelter, food and treatment,” added Col Al Jallaf.
Whoever possesses wild animals for trafficking purposes shall be sentenced to imprisonment and/or fined no less than Dh50,000 and no more than Dh500,000, as per the law.
Col Al Jallaf added the same law punishes anyone who takes out such wild animals in public places with a jail term of up to six months and/or fines between Dh10,000 and Dh500,000.
He urged the public to call 901 to report illegal selling or buying of dangerous animals or 999 to report stray wild animals.