Dubai, May 19 (IANS/WAM): An environment campaign to enhance international efforts to combat the smuggling of elephant ivory tusks is being undertaken by the Dubai Police General Command.
The new campaign is part of an ongoing bid by Dubai authorities to clamp down on the illegal shipment of elephant tusks from Africa to the Far East.
According to Gulf News daily, the police awareness campaign was launched in Dubai's International Airport and Transit lounges.
Although international trade in ivory tusks was banned in 1989, ivory remains in high demand in Far East leading to the continued slaughter of elephants in the Africa region.
By some estimates, up to 750,000 elephants were killed for their tusks in the 1980s leaving a population of 600,000 at the dawn of the 1990s decade when the ban was brought into effect.