MUSCAT: A group from Oman trying to smuggle 200 goats into the UAE was arrested at the UAE border recently and now faces legal action.
According to UAE’s Ministry of Environment and Water, the smugglers were transporting the animals without documentation or quarantine checks and were intercepted at the Al Madam port border crossing. The herd was hidden in boxes.
The ministry said in a statement, “The animals did not have any certificates from the country of origin to prove that they are free from communicable diseases. Besides, the goats were kept in miserable conditions, cramped in a lorry which was not suitable for transportation of animals. It is a clear violation of the Federal Animal Welfare Law (16), which was issued in 2007.”
It further said that all exported animals and animal products must first be put in quarantine before they can be sold in the country to ensure they are free from illness and disease. Animals are allowed to enter UAE only through those borders that have quarantine zones.
