Palestinian man with 14 birds in trousers caught at Jordan border

Israeli authorities on Tuesday caught a Palestinian man at Israel’s border with Jordan trying to smuggle 14 European goldfinches’ birds in his trousers.

Israel’s chief liaison office with the Palestinians, COGAT, reported in a statement that the man was stopped at the Allenby Bridge crossing after security guards noticed an unusual bulge in his trousers.

COGAT said when they searched the culprit they found the 14 goldfinches, which are considered wild birds, tied to his legs and he was handed over to the police as he did not have the necessary permits for the birds.

According to COGAT, the man said he had bought the birds in Jordan and wanted to sell them in the West Bank city of Hebron.

Allenby Bridge crossing Commander Hadi Khatib called the incident a serious smuggling attempt and vowed to prevent wildlife trade.

“We shall continue to operate relentlessly and collaborate with all parties on struggling and eradicating this alarming phenomenon,’’ he said. (dpa/NAN)