20 Rare Parrots Hidden in Luggage Seized at Ben Gurion Airport

Customs officers at Ben Gurion Airport, working with veterinary inspectors from the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, foiled an attempt to smuggle about 20 rare parrots into Israel. The birds, estimated to be worth tens of thousands of shekels, were found in five separate cages inside a suitcase. Criminal proceedings were opened against the suspect, and the parrots were returned to their country of origin after receiving veterinary treatment.

The suspect is an Israeli man in his 20s who had just returned from Poland. He tried to pass through the green channel in the passenger hall, which signals that a traveler has nothing to declare to customs. A customs inspector became suspicious and asked him to place his luggage on the X-ray conveyor, where the birds were seen. Officers then searched the bag physically and found 20 parrots packed in poor conditions.

Veterinary inspectors were called to the terminal to assess the animals’ condition and transfer them from customs staff for further treatment. After the necessary checks, the birds were sent back abroad. The suspect was detained for questioning, and the case is being handled by the Agriculture Ministry’s central enforcement and investigations unit, known as Pitzuach.

Dr. Shlomo Grazi, the chief veterinarian for the import and export of animals in the ministry’s veterinary services, said animal smuggling is not only illegal but also harms animal welfare and poses a real risk to public health. He warned that smuggled animals are often kept in harsh conditions without veterinary oversight and may carry diseases not found in Israel. Ben Rosenberg of the Nature and Parks Authority said cooperation between customs, the Agriculture Ministry, the authority and other agencies helps prevent harm to wildlife, the entry of parasites and zoonotic diseases, invasive species and damage to local nature and agriculture.