South African police arrest two Thai men for allegedly smuggling parrot eggs
Summary
South African police arrested two Thai men at Johannesburg airport for trying to smuggle endangered parrot eggs out of the country. The eggs were hidden in homemade incubators, and authorities are working to protect wild bird populations from illegal trafficking.Key Facts
- Two Thai nationals were arrested separately at OR Tambo international airport in Johannesburg for smuggling parrot eggs.
- The first arrest on August 20 involved 50 bird eggs in a hand-luggage bag.
- The second arrest on July 16 involved 418 parrot eggs in two homemade incubator bags.
- The eggs are from parrots protected under an international agreement called CITES, which stops trade that could cause species extinction.
- South Africa fights wildlife smuggling including rhino horns, tiger bones, shellfish, and plants.
- The seized eggs are being cared for at the National Zoological Garden in Pretoria, with some already hatched.
- The arrests were made after an operation led by South Africa’s Environmental Management Inspectorate ("Green Scorpions") and police units.
- Illegal export of CITES-listed species can lead to fines up to 10 million rand and up to 10 years in prison in South Africa.
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