Six arrested for poaching Arabian gazelles

MUSCAT: Wildlife rangers of the ministry of environment and climate affairs and the Environment Conservation Office at the Diwan of Royal Court arrested six poachers for hunting four Arabian gazelles in Jabal Al Saatary in Muscat Governorate. The poachers were monitored for two consecutive days before they were caught redhanded.

The wildlife rangers were undertaking routine patrol on Thursday evening at Jabal Al Saatary when they spotted an SUV as it entered a restricted zone in a rugged mountainous area.

Local residents told the wildlife rangers that they had sighted the same car several times entering the area. A joint wildlife patrol from the ministry of environment affairs and the Environment Conservation Office at the Diwan of Royal Court combed the entire area in search of the poachers.

On Friday at 6:30 am wildlife rangers in cooperation with Royal Oman Police cracked down on the poachers arresting six persons. They found weapons and remains of four Arabian gazelles which the poachers had slaughtered and cut into pieces.

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. 3 held for assaulting expats In another development, three citizens were arrested for looting and threatening two Asian expatriates with weapons in the Ruwi area by officials at Criminal Investigation Department of the Royal Oman Police in Muscat.

The police confirmed that the suspects took the two victims in their vehicle at a gun point. The accused were arrested following detailed search operations and after admitting the crime. They were referred to the public prosecution for further investigations.