Saudi foils birds smuggle attempt from Bahrain

Manama : In a major move, Saudi authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 1,000 birds from Bahrain on Monday. According to a statement issued by Saudi King Fahd Causeway Customs, the birds were hidden in a special compartment underneath two vehicles.

Saudi King Fahd Causeway General Director Dhaifallah Al Otaiby confirmed that a total of 1, 074 birds were seized.

“While inspecting the vehicles on the Saudi side of the Causeway, a special-made iron compartment was detected in the bottom part of the vehicles. Around 624 birds were found in one vehicle while 450 were detected in the other car,” Al Otaiby stated, adding that legal procedures were taken against the violators.

He explained that the “Saudi Customs prohibits importing live birds from all countries, except eggs and recently hatched chicks that are produced in establishments that under technical supervision.

Al Otaiby said that these procedures are followed to curb diseases and infections that are spread through birds. Meanwhile, the incident wasn’t mentioned by the Bahraini authorities.

It’s noteworthy that a similar attempt was foiled in November, 2015. DT News had reported earlier that around 2,500 birds were seized from a vehicle, which was going from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia through King Fahd Causeway.