Two men arrested over alleged wildlife trafficking at OR Tambo

Two Thai nationals have been arrested in separate cases involving alleged attempts to smuggle protected parrot eggs through OR Tambo International Airport.

The first arrest took place on 20 August, when a 50-year-old Thai national was allegedly found with 50 bird eggs concealed in a homemade incubator bag carried as hand luggage.

According to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) preliminary investigations indicate the eggs came from parrot species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

The arrest follows a second incident on 16 July, when a 23-year-old Thai national was allegedly intercepted at OR Tambo with 418 parrot eggs concealed in two homemade incubator bags. The Guardian independently reported the arrests.

DFFE Minister David Maynier welcomed the enforcement action.

‘The success of this operation demonstrates the need for a joint approach to enforcing environmental law,’ Maynier said.

DFFE said the illegal collection and trafficking of parrot eggs threatens wild bird populations and animal welfare.

Several of the recovered eggs have hatched, with the chicks receiving veterinary and husbandry care at the National Zoological Garden in Pretoria.

Investigations into both cases are ongoing.