Israeli authorities arrested four Palestinians who tried to smuggle some 100 songbirds into Israel from Jordan via the Allenby Bridge crossing on Friday by gluing the birds onto themselves, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority reveals.
The alleged would-be smugglers had glued the birds’ feet to their clothes to hide them, the Nature and Parks authority says.
The songbirds are protected and can only be imported with a special license.
The men were spotted by staff from the Airports Authority and Customs.
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority says that the men are awaiting charges and have been forbidden from approaching the Allenby Bridge crossing for the next three months.
In a joint statement, the Nature and Parks Authority and the police stress that importing animals without a permit and the necessary prior inspections is not only prohibited but can introduce diseases, parasites, and invasive species harmful to nature, wild animals, livestock, and humans.
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