Musk is a strong-smelling brownish substance secreted by the male musk deer usually found in Central Asia - China, Mongolia and the Himalayas The stag drops these woody balls to attract females and mark its territory. The musk is a highly precious raw material in perfume making. As a result musk deer are favorite for poachers. Just one kg of musk is priced around US $50,000 in the black market. Since only a few grams can be extracted from a single animal, more than 150 deer have to be killed for each kilogram of musk. Though it is possible to remove the gland without killing the animal, this is usually not done and cruel methods are routinely used to trap and kill the animal. After all poachers are after the quick money and why bother about the cruelty to these beautiful creatures!

Recently a sting operation has uncovered a gang of Indian poachers who are going door to door in the UAE, peddling dubious medicines derived from the highly-endangered musk deer. They claim their medicines can cure 101 diseases, including cancer. Already, many UAE residents have reportedly bought these medicines shelling out as much as US$ 10000 for a bottle of their medicine. The sting team posed  as customers and called the Abu Dhabi-based gang members to a Sharjah home and trapped them while they were giving cures for arthritis and blood pressure.

All musk deer species are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) of which the UAE is a signatory and anyone trading in products made from the deer is punishable with jail, fine or both.

Dr Layla Marzouqi, Acting Director of the Health Regulation Department at the Dubai Health Authority, said: "No one without a licence is entitled to sell any medication in the UAE, let alone unlicensed medications. People need to be aware about unlicensed people selling such medications. The fact that this is not allowed by the health authorities is reason enough for people to understand that it is unfit for their consumption. Such unlicensed medications have potential long-term side effects and must be avoided at all costs" she said.