Sovereign Base Areas Customs and Immigration have confirmed 312 protected Ambelopoulia (Blackcaps) have been seized at crossing points in October after officers discovered them concealed in vehicles during three separate checks.
The vehicles and birds were seized by Customs officers and the owners were immediately arrested by the SBA Police and charged ahead of appearing in court shortly.
MASSIVE TRADE
SBA Customs and Immigration and the police work closely to ensure birds are not smuggled over crossing points and according to Mark Hartley, who heads-up the Customs team in the Dhekelia area, the “illegal trade of wildlife is the fourth largest illegal trade in the world”.
He explained: “We are committed to detecting any attempts to illegally import protected species across the Green Line. With the current migrating Blackcap season, SBA Customs are operationally deployed to intercept any movements of these protected birds crossing the SBA boundaries.
“The detection of these Blackcaps highlights our commitment to tackling wildlife crime, which has a devastating environmental impact. Our actions are an integral part of tackling a global issue and protecting endangered species. My officers continue their vital work at the crossing points to eradicate this ruthless and exploitative trade.”
The seizures followed confirmation that the SBA Police’s efforts to combat illegal bird trapping has continued at pace, with multiple arrests already made in October during operations carried out by the dedicated Community Action Team (CAT).
With the season for migrating Black Caps approaching its end, officers are confident the efforts of the CAT team will have proved highly successful when statistics are released in November.
This year the SBA Police have been able to call on a record number of dedicated officers for operations and that has been further bolstered by military support when it has been required.
BIG IMPACT
Chief Inspector Fanos Christodoulou, who leads the 10-officer strong CAT team, explained why his officers were able to make such an impact this year.
“The arrests and seizures, not just in October, but since the season began, show we are fully dedicated to combating this illegal activity.
“We have had the capacity to call on up to 10 members of the military to assist us in our operations when working on military land and on top of that, we have worked very closely with Bird Life Cyprus and CABS to combat bird trapping.
“We have continued to invest in technology, with drones, hidden cameras and other modern means of detection.
“This is a serious crime and one that will continue to tackle with everything that we have at our disposal.”
The Blackcap migration season is expected to end at the beginning of November, when the official focus will then move to the illegal poaching of Thrushes.