40 stolen birds found in Palestinian’s socks

Israeli authorities foiled a plan to smuggle finches across the Allenby Bridge crossing. The black market in birds appears to be an ongoing problem. 

By David Isaac, World Israel News 

Israeli authorities foiled a plan to smuggle finches across the Allenby Bridge crossing between Jordan and Israel on Tuesday. A Palestinian tried to hide 40 of the birds in his socks. He was handed over to Israel’s Nature Authority who transferred him to the custody of the Israeli police.

“We view with great seriousness efforts to smuggle live animals of all kinds and are working around the clock to eradicate the phenomenon,” said Major Hadi Hativ, in charge of the Allenby Bridge crossing.

High demand has increased prices for the popular singing bird, with a single finch fetching 1,000s of shekels in Israel.

Bird black market

The black market in birds appears to be an ongoing problem. In Feb. 2017, in a virtually identical incident, a resident of Shechem attempted to smuggle 40 finches across the Allenby Bridge by hiding them under his pants. A young man and woman tried to get 38 finches across a month earlier.

Birds from the 2017 attempt. (Israel Tax Authority)

Two months ago, two young men in their 20s were stopped when trying to smuggle 36 parrots through security at Ben-Gurion International Airport. The parrots, it was revealed, had been smuggled from Belgium to Israel. The parrots were in cages hidden in suitcases.

Shortly before the parrot smugglers were seized, a woman traveling from Jordan to Judea and Samaria was caught with doves hidden in a case. They were wrapped in socks and placed next to children’s toys.

Israel Nature and Parks Authority