RIYADH: The Special Forces for Environmental Security (SFES) in Riyadh have announced the arrest of 21 people for violating environmental laws — 14 Saudi citizens and 7 Sudanese and Indian nationals who committed violations when grazing 983 camels and 50 sheep in places where grazing is prohibited in a number of regions of the kingdom.
The legal action is in line with a campaign by the Ministry of Interior, represented by the Special Forces for Environmental Security, and other authorities in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.
The SFES spokesman, Maj. Raed Al-Maliki, urged people to report any cases that represent an attack on the environment or wildlife on the 911 number in the Makkah and Riyadh regions, and on 999 and 996 in other Saudi regions.
The ministry’s campaigns are aimed at raising awareness, enacting legislation, limiting the destruction of vegetation cover, preventing the extinction of rare types of trees and impeding the occurrence of an ecological imbalance.
