A Samara customs mobile unit stopped a minibus near Ak Bulak, Orenburg Region, and seized more than one hundred live exotic birds shipped without import permits; the vehicle was travelling from Uzbekistan to Moscow Region via Kazakhstan. Source: FCS Russia.
Officers found cages in the cabin holding 93 parrot-family birds — including red-tailed African grey parrots, Banks's mourning cockatoo, red-bellied parrot, lutino rosella and Pennant's rosella — plus eight Bahama ducks and two mountain turkeys.
The driver had no paperwork authorising import of live animals. He told inspectors that in Tashkent the birds' owner had handed him only Uzbek veterinary certificates and instructed him to deliver the cargo to an unknown recipient on arrival.
An administrative offence case was opened under Article 16.2(1) of the Russian Code of Administrative Offences for failure to declare goods; the statute provides for a fine or confiscation of the goods.
A further review and expert assessment will establish whether the birds are subject to the CITES Convention.
The seized birds have been placed in the Ulyanovsk zoo.
