7 people are being held by Police after over 700 “allegedly illegally imported” protected dead birds were found during inspections on several farms around Malta on Thursday.Police said in a statement that during the inspection hundreds of bird carcasses were found in several freezers in a Safi farmhouse by officers from the Administrative Law Enforcement unit together with ERA officers.The protected species found included, pelicans, flamingos, storks and eagles. Police said that further investigations revealed that the birds were allegedly “illegally imported to Malta from Egypt and Sudan.”

The ERA in a statement said that preliminary investigations indicate that the majority of these birds have been illegally smuggled into Malta recently.

The seizure came following weeks of joint investigations together with the Malta Police Force. “Yesterday’s haul represents the largest haul of smuggled protected dead birds revealed in the last six years,” it said

As a regulator on the environment, ERA said that it enforces on matters related to the CITES Convention, or rather the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The latter is an international agreement between governments, aiming to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

Raids were conducted at three residences and a farmhouse, all within the Safi and Kirkop localities, the ERA said. “From the residences, Police assisted by ERA officials seized several stuffed birds. Likewise, from the farmhouse, about 660 dead birds found stored in freezers were seized after ERA officials expertly identified these.”

The Authority explained that the haul consisted of several species of birds of prey such as Eagles; Falcons and Vultures, and other bird families such as Storks; Egrets; Spoonbills; Ibises and Flamingos which are also protected by international law, namely the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES).

“It is believed that the majority of the birds, found already prepared to be stuffed for collection purposes, originated from Northern Africa region. The consignment’s value is estimated as being tens of thousands of Euros,” the Authority said.

Three persons hailing from Kirkop, are assisting the Police in their investigations. “The persons were all previously known to the authorities after they had already been investigated and successfully prosecuted for similar crimes in the past,” said the ERA.

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