Shaukat Ali, who seemed untrained about transporting birds and unaware of the consequences of smuggling precious species, was carrying the birds as 'luggage'. He was on his way to Dubai on Wednesday where he works as a private driver for a local Arab.
During the investigation, Ali disclosed that he got all the falcons from Balochistan and had to present them to an Arab, Ubed.
The birds have been handed over to the Sindh Wildlife Department, while Ali, who hails from Quetta, has been handed over to the police. He will be released if he pays the fine imposed by the provincial department on illegal hunting and smuggling.
The retrieved falcons include three rare Saker falcons and Peregrine falcons and they all will be released next week.
The Customs officials handed over the birds and the smuggler to wildlife officials on Thursday for further legal procedure. The wildlife department then handed Ali over to the police.
Ali will have to pay a fine of Rs50,000 if the wildlife officials consider the smuggling attempt a single offence, and Rs250,000 if five offences are imposed on him for each bird.
"The birds will be kept for a week for rehabilitation," wildlife department provincial conservator Javed Ahmed Maher told The Express Tribune. "We have to check if any bird is injured." He said that all falcons will be released when they will be able to fly.
According to officials, it seems that the smuggler was not trained about how to transport the birds from one location to another.
"He carried birds like his other luggage," said an official, adding that he was a simpleton who was being used for smuggling.
According to the officials, Ali does not have the permission to transport the birds. Even foreigners who have permission often transport more falcons than allowed by the government, they added.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 14th, 2014.
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