Customs inspectors at Ben Gurion Airport have nabbed an Israeli man in his 20s trying to smuggle in around 20 rare parrots from Poland that were packed into five cages in his luggage.
The birds, reportedly worth tens of thousands of shekels, received veterinary treatment before being returned to Poland, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority says in a statement.
The suspect tried to pass through the Nothing to Declare channel of customs, where he was asked to put his luggage through the X-ray machine, according to the statement.
Criminal proceedings have been opened against him.
Ben Rosenberg, Director of the Wildlife and Plant Protection Division at the Nature and Parks Authority, says wildlife smuggling, which violates multiple laws, not only constitutes cruelty toward animals, but risks bringing parasites and animal-borne diseases into the country and endangering Israeli nature and agriculture.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Monday, June 15, 2026
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
