Algeria : diplomats smuggle over 2,000 rare birds

The National Gendarmerie forces in Tlemcen province arrested an official at the Palestinian embassy in Algeria A.S, for smuggling rare birds “Trophy.”

• The official who was enjoying diplomatic immunity was accompanied by an Algerian from El Klia in Tipaza province, on a car-type “Renault Classic” in Tafna.
• A total of 200 birds had been seized in this operation. He justified his illegal activity by the fact that his wage is low and can not fulfil his family’s need. That “obliged him to smuggle birds and sell them at 5,000 DA each in the capital. He recruited unemployed people from the north to go to Meghnia town and bring these birds.
• This is not the first time “Foreign Diplomats” have got involved in smuggling rare birds. Some men from the Gulf countries have already caught a “squid” bird in El Bayad through recruiting a number of unemployed youngsters to catch these birds’ eggs.
• Security authorities have already arrested Saudis Diplomats in Elbayad for violating the Algerian legislation on January 5th 2006 in Brizina desert, south of Elbayad. Their passports were handed over without their presence before justice because they enjoyed diplomatic immunity.
• Sources in link with the investigations said that the “squid” bird hunt cause is the eradication of its interior organs to be dried and used as a powder treatment for sexual inability.
• “Goldfinch” bird known as “Trophy”, which was strongly present in Metijah heights and Atlas mountains in Blida and western regions especially in “Sabra” ( Tlemcen province), is threatened by extermination. This is due to its indiscriminate hunting for this type of birds to smuggle it to “new wealthy people” and foreigners thanks to diplomats’ complicity and Algerian smugglers.
• Number of smugglers who are hunting “Goldfinch” bird are activating on the western borders to sell it there after it becomes as expensive as drugs. The Gendarmerie forces in Tlemcen seized more than 2,500 “squid” in 2007, in addition to 240 other squids since 2008. Nine smugglers were arrested and six of them are in jail.
• Tlemcen gendarmerie recovered 2,740 “squid” since 2007
• The National Gendarmerie forces seized 1,540 “squid” in 2008 in Ain Tmouchent and Tlemcen provinces as well as 500 birds in the west of Algeria. Smugglers who descended from Metidja region, Algiers, Tizi ouzou, Boumerdes, and Bouira  moved up towards Meghnia in the western borders where they bought one bird at 280 DA in order to sell them in Algiers at prices not least than 5,000 DA per bird, according to investigations.
• The same sources said that “Canary” bird are smuggled from Spain via Morocco to be hybrid with “Goldfinch” birds caught in Nadour forests to obtain the “Trophy” that has a nice voice.
• “Goldfinch” bird smuggling incomes as equal as drugs incomes
• Reports indicated that “Squid” birds’ number increased during last years because Moroccan smugglers take them to Algeria via Meghnia then sell them to Algerian smugglers at about 9 Moroccan Dirham.
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