Watch: Crackdown on unlicensed cache of mummified animals in Saudi Arabia
Trading in endangered wildlife creatures punishable by up to 10 yrs in jail, SR30m fine
Cairo: Saudi environmental police had arrested a citizen accused of owning and displaying 102 mummified wild animals and birds including three endangered species without a licence.
The illegal act, which violates the kingdom’s environment law, had been uncovered by the Special Forces for Environmental Security (SFES) in the Eastern Province, the Saudi news agency SPA reported.
Legal procedures were taken against the offender, and coordination conducted with the National Centre for Wildlife to take delivery of the seized creatures, according to SFES.
Under Saudi law, displaying products related to wildlife creatures without a, or if they come from an unknown origin, is an offence punishable by fines of up to SR10,000 per kg depending on the species.
Trading in endangered wildlife creatures or their derivatives, killing or hunting them is, meanwhile, punishable by a maximum jail term of 10 years and fines up to SR30 million or one of the two penalties.
Earlier this month, SEFS caught a Saudi citizen displaying endangered animals in violation of the kingdom’s environment law.
The man arrested in the capital Riyadh displayed 25 wild animals without a licence including 13 endangered species, Saudi media reported.
The animals also included three foxes and two porcupines.
SFES said the offender had been referred to public prosecution as the catch included endangered animals.
In recent months, Saudi Arabia has ramped up a clampdown on ecological violations amid environment preservation efforts in the country.
In August, the environment police said they had caught 39 violators of the country’s environment law by setting off bonfires at a provincial park. The offenders were 37 Saudis and two expatriates – a Pakistani and a Yemeni.
Their violations were detected at a vegetation cover area in the mountainous Soudah park in the Asir region in south-western Saudi Arabia.
SFES said igniting bonfires in protected areas is an offence punishable by a maximum fine of SR20,000 and in vegetation cover lands by fines of up to SR3,000.
Illegal burning of a tree in Saudi Arabia is, meanwhile, punishable by fines of up to SR40,000.