Six arrested for hunting four deer, wild birds in Muscat

The office of wildlife conservation, in coordination with Royal Oman Police, arrested six poachers for hunting four deer and wild birds in the Muscat region, reported the Ministry of Environment and Climate affairs. Legal procedures will be initiated against the accused as poaching of endangered animals and species continue to happen in Oman at regular intervals.

Hunting or smuggling of gazelles, oryx and deer from a nature reserve is a crime punishable by imprisonment of five years and a fine of RO5000, as per the Public Prosecution in Oman.

Past incidents

It may be noted that recently two persons were arrested with arms by the Royal Oman Police in coordination with the environment preservation office in Quriyat in June this year.

Royal Oman Police (ROP) and the Office of the Conservation of the Environment had earlier arrested a gang of alleged poachers who opened fire at wildlife wardens in Wadi

Sareen Nature Reserve in February this year. The wardens who were on patrol in the nature reserve in Amerat, home to protected Arabian Gazelle and Arabian Tahr, were attacked by unidentified gunmen who fired a volley of shots at their vehicle. One shot narrowly missed one of the wardens, while another bullet slammed into their vehicle.