SYDNEY -- An Australian traveler was caught with two live pigeons stuffed in his pants following a trip to the Middle East, customs officials said Tuesday.
The 23-year-old man was searched after authorities discovered two eggs in a vitamin container in his luggage, said Richard Janeczko, national investigations manager for the Customs Service They found the pigeons wrapped in padded envelopes and held to each of the man's legs with a pair of tights, according to a statement released by the agency. Officials also seized seeds in his money belt and an undeclared eggplant.
The alleged bird smuggler, who arrived in Melbourne on Sunday on a flight from Dubai, was being questioned.
Australia has very strict quarantine regulations on the importation of wildlife, plants and food to protect health, agriculture and the environment of the isolated island nation.
Charges of wildlife smuggling - which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of 110,000 Australian dollars ($70,430) - could be brought against the man.
Janeczko said the pigeons were not endangered and that the case - as well as the birds, eggs and seeds - had been turned over to the Quarantine Service to assess the health risk associated with bringing the birds into the country.
The Quarantine Service would not comment on the continuing investigation.
-ABC-
PIGEONS IN HIS PANTS...
- soloist
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PIGEONS IN HIS PANTS...
Soloist can only be experienced - for one's perception determines which of his attributes are displayed...
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- Dungeon Sweeper
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Re: PIGEONS IN HIS PANTS...
And he thought this would work? If you're gonna smuggle something into a country, stuffing it into your pants might work in some cases(I wouldn't try it though), but ANYONE who thinks he can smuggle something that size in TIGHTS is just plain stupid.
Re: PIGEONS IN HIS PANTS...
I also gotta wonder why in the crap he was smuggling pigeons. He couldn't find something rarer and more valuable to smuggle?
Re: PIGEONS IN HIS PANTS...
The funny thing is, that's not how they caught him. They only checked him because they found the eggs first.CountryBoy wrote:And he thought this would work? If you're gonna smuggle something into a country, stuffing it into your pants might work in some cases(I wouldn't try it though), but ANYONE who thinks he can smuggle something that size in TIGHTS is just plain stupid.
I do have to wonder though, why pigeons?
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Re: PIGEONS IN HIS PANTS...
To flip someone the bird?Nakor wrote:CountryBoy wrote:I do have to wonder though, why pigeons?
I can only Imagine that these were no ordinary but homing pigeons which are indeed quite valuable, depending on the breed and offspring.
Re: PIGEONS IN HIS PANTS...
Looking at 'em, they do kinda look like homing pigeons, so that could be it! But then, wonder what he'd be trying to transport via pigeon Unless just to sell off, but then what would anyone be transporting via pigeon outta Australia?
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Re: PIGEONS IN HIS PANTS...
Not like he couldn't find pigeons in Australia.
- wavemeister
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Re: PIGEONS IN HIS PANTS...
Messages from Al-Qaeda?Roemello wrote:Looking at 'em, they do kinda look like homing pigeons, so that could be it! But then, wonder what he'd be trying to transport via pigeon Unless just to sell off, but then what would anyone be transporting via pigeon outta Australia?
Like I had hinted before, that guy probably tried to establish his own breed for sport - good homing pigeons can be extremely valuable as I have learned. And with the strict regulations for importing wildlife, homing pigeons may be very expensive in Australia.
Or that guy is simply nuts...not to rule out this possibility.
Re: PIGEONS IN HIS PANTS...
Or at the least, not the brightest bulb in the box Poor birds though.... and for such valuable animals, not exactly the best way to preserve and keep them for a trip