Qatari man held in Lahore with falcons

A Qatari man was arrested at the Lahore airport for trying to smuggle nine falcons worth more than Rs 50 million, the Pakistani media reported on Tuesday.

Punjab wildlife official Khalid Ghayas Khan told Dawn that Ahmed Hussain Ali Muhammad-ul-Saada had hidden the falcons in a large black bag. He was arrested by a vigilance police squad at the Allama Iqbal International Airport.

Nearly 5,000 to 6,000 falcons are trapped and smuggled out of Pakistan every year and sold to sheikhs in the Middle East.

Falcons migrate thousands of miles to escape the harsh winters of Siberia, making stops for rest before continuing their journey to warmer regions in the south.

 

--IANS

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