Dubai Police have uncovered 1,849 pieces of ivory hidden in a shipment at Dubai International Airport.
The ivory took the form of elephant tusks imported from Africa via Asia, and the pieces were painted black and hidden in a shoe shipment.
Ivory is an illegal but highly lucrative trade, with criminals often going to great lengths to smuggles goods across borders for big cash rewards.
A piece of ivory can sell for up to US$1,500, meaning the shipment had a potential value in the millions.
However, Brigadier General Ali Ateeq bin Lahej, Director of the General Department of Airport Security at Dubai Airport, said his team were working tirelessly to stop contraband entering the UAE.
The seized ivory was handed over to the Ministry of Environment and Climate change, according to UAE law.
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