Saudi Arabian prince accused of smuggling in
Russia
ASTRAKHAN, December 12 - RAPSI. Saudi
Arabian Prince Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al Kabeer has succeeded in
reclaiming most of his rare hunting birds after Russian environmentalists
demanded their seizure, an Astrakhan law enforcement source told RIA Novosti.
Most of the birds were flown out of Russia early
Wednesday morning.
The source said that supervisory and law
enforcement authorities found nothing illegal in the transportation of the
birds.
The Federal Service for the Supervision of
Natural Resources reported earlier that Saudi Arabian Prince Sultan Bin
Mohammed Bin Saud Al Kabeer was accused of smuggling 49 falcons into Russia for
hunting purposes, including 16 rare species.
The royal family arrived in Russia on a private
plane to take part in a bird exhibition in Kalmykia. A scandal ensued after the
service discovered that the prince had smuggled 49 falcons into the country for
hunting.
Although the birds were seized, the prince was
not detained due to diplomatic immunity. However, the service has notified the
Foreign Ministry of the incident. The source said 25 falcons left Russia on a
Saudi Arabian plane in the early hours of Wednesday, the rest remain in
Kalmykia, their fate unknown at this time.
"There was a lot of confusion with the
documents, that's why there was a scandal. And the rest of the birds will
likely be allowed out the country as well, only later. Permission for
transportation has not been issued yet," the source said.
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