Noord-Brabant man arrested for smuggling birds from Africa, Asia; 498 birds seized
Dutch inspectors seized 498 exotic birds from a warehouse in Noord-Brabant and arrested a 20-year-old man suspected of large-scale illegal trade, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) said Monday.
According to Omroep Brabant, inspectors found cockatoos, hornbills and golden-capped finches, believed to have been caught in the wild in Africa and Asia before being smuggled into the European Union. The birds have been placed in specialized shelters.
The Functional Public Prosecutor’s Office is now investigating the origins and scale of the operation. The same man was caught in 2024, when 170 birds were confiscated after he failed to provide import documents. That case showed the animals came from abroad, triggering a criminal investigation.
The NVWA said importing birds from outside the EU is banned due to risks such as avian flu. The agency warned that the illegal trade causes animal suffering, threatens biodiversity and endangers both humans and animals.
