Almost 2,000 pieces of ivory have been seized at Dubai International Airport.
Dubai Police said the illegal ivory entered the emirate through a transit flight and was being transported to another country but the smuggling attempt was foiled by customs officers.
The 1,849 pieces were cut into various shapes and painted black in an attempt to disguise them.
#MoCCaE confiscates an illegally smuggled cargo of #CITES protected #Ivory composed of 1,849 pieces, seized by the General Directorate of Airport Security at @DubaiPoliceHQ ...(1/2) pic.twitter.com/5doHn4t3yv
— MoCCAE (@MoCCaEUAE) July 3, 2018
The ivory, confiscated by the inspectors during routine inspections, was taken from African elephants, which are listed in the first addendum of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), which the UAE joined in 1990.
The seized contraband was handed over to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, which will arrange for it to be destroyed.
According to UAE law, anyone caught smuggling endangered animals or their parts faces heavy fines and/or jail.
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Last month, The National reported that Dubai Customs has halted 53 cases of smuggling of contraband listed by Cites since 2015.
Many are destined for the lucrative Far East black market, with Dubai a popular smuggling route for traffickers.
In September, two men aged 53 and 54 were sentenced to two months in prison for ivory trafficking in Hong Kong, via Dubai.
