Turkish police on the border with Syria arrested a Saudi officer and a Syrian Saturday, allegedly in illegal possession of a falcon, the Anatolia news agency reported.
Saudi army major Trat Almarshed, 31, and Hamid Almavaf Tahan of Syria, 23, face prosecution after being stopped by officials at the Oncupinar border post.
The officials alleged the two men had a falcon, which they had captured in the southeast Turkish region of Pinarbasi.
The bird is a protected species in Turkey, and officials there are trying to crack down on the traffic in falcons. They fetch a high price in the Gulf states where they are used for hunting -- ANKARA(AFP)
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