Pakistani customs officers get ready to free a rescued partridge at the Safari Park in Islamabad on May 4, 2017. Pakistani customs officers foiled a smuggling attempt by arresting a British suspect of Pakistani origin and rescuing around 11 partridges found in his belongings on a Birmingham-bound flight. PHOTO: AFP
Customs officials on Thursday foiled an attempt to smuggle 11 partridges in two suitcases to Birmingham, United Kingdom.
A British national was arrested at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport for attempting to smuggle the birds. The birds were discovered while checking the luggage of passengers on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight to Birmingham.
An FIR was lodged against the suspect under wildlife laws and the partridges were handed over to the wildlife officers.
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The same evening, wildlife staffers and customs staff freed the partridges at wildlife park in Islamabad. Under wildlife laws of Pakistan no one is allowed to take these species abroad.
Last year authorities foiled a bid to smuggle 36 rare partridges from Balochistan into the Punjab. Back in 2013 a Pakistani man tried to smuggle 17 live partridges into Manchester in small wooden crates, claimed UK customs officials. Thirteen birds had died during the flight while the remaining four were sent to a vet.
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