Parrot egg smuggler ordered to pay for wildlife rescue

A Thai national, who was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport while attempting to smuggle 50 protected parrot eggs out of South Africa in August, has been convicted and sentenced in the first prosecution arising from two linked interceptions involving 468 eggs.

The Kempton Park Regional Court sentenced the 50-year-old on Monday under a plea agreement to a R500 000 fine or five years’ imprisonment, suspended for five years on condition that R300 000 is paid to the South African National Biodiversity Institute (Sanbi) towards the care of animals seized during law enforcement operations.

The eggs were among 468 confiscated in two incidents at the airport in July and August. Despite the conditions in which they had been smuggled, many hatched after Sanbi staff stepped in to care for them.

The department of forestry, fisheries and the environment said on Friday that the payment recognised the costs of caring for confiscated wildlife and processing evidence for prosecutions.

An arrest warrant has been issued for the second suspect, a 23-year-old Thai national who was arrested in July after allegedly attempting to smuggle 418 parrot eggs concealed in two homemade incubator bags.

The Green Scorpions are continuing to investigate the suspected trafficking network, with support from other countries and international organisations.