World News
South African authorities arrest two Thai men over alleged parrot egg smuggling
Law enforcement seized hundreds of eggs transported in improvised incubators at Johannesburg's main airport.
The short version
- South African officials arrested two Thai nationals in July and August at OR Tambo international airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle endangered parrot eggs.
- Authorities recovered a total of 468 eggs concealed in custom-built incubator bags across two separate airport interceptions.
- The seized eggs were sent to the National Zoological Garden in Pretoria, where several chicks have hatched under veterinary care.
Key facts
- A 50-year-old Thai man was arrested on August 20 at OR Tambo international airport carrying 50 eggs inside a hand-luggage incubator bag.[The Guardian]
- A 23-year-old Thai national was arrested at the same airport on July 16 carrying 418 parrot eggs in two homemade incubator bags.[The Guardian]
- Preliminary investigations indicate the seized eggs belong to species listed under CITES.[The Guardian]
- The arrests were conducted as a joint operation involving police units and South Africa's Environmental Management Inspectorate, known as the Green Scorpions.[The Guardian]
- In South Africa, the illegal export of CITES-protected species carries penalties of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of 10 million rand, or both.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- The specific parrot species involved in the smuggling attempts have not been disclosed by the environment ministry.[The Guardian]
Sources
- South African police arrest two Thai men for allegedly smuggling parrot eggsThe Guardian - World