Camel racing thrown into disrepute

The popular Arab sport of camel racing has been thrown into disrepute by the revelation that the animals have been artificially whipped with electric stun-guns to make them run faster. Racing camels is popular throughout the Gulf, where owning a herd of beasts specially bred for the sport has become a fashion accoutrement. The most prized animals can sell for more than $1 million. But Dubai police have confirmed they uncovered a gang of dealers who were selling electric stun gun kits, for up to £5,000, across the region.

These were then being fitted inside the robot jockeys, which cost between £130-£200, that in recent years have largely replaced child jockeys, traditionally used in camel racing, due to humanitarian concerns. The electric shocks could be administered by remote control to encourage the camel to run faster. Details of the case are sketchy and the gang, said to be led by two men from an unnamed Asian country, have not yet been brought to court.

Brigadier General Khaleel Ibrahim al-Mansouri, head of Dubai CID, said that police had received a tip-off about the practice. An undercover officer made contact with the gang during a race at Al Lehbab racecourse outside the city, and offered to buy a machine. When the two men supplied it, they were arrested. "They put stun guns inside the jockey that sits on the camel so it could send electric shocks," he said. "They made them to order and sold them in several countries.

"They confessed and said some other suspects helped them to modify the jockey. It is inhumane to use such machines in camel races. It is also against animal protection laws and against our traditions." The world's most expensive camel, a breeding female, was bought in Abu Dhabi for £1.6 million last February.