Man tries to smuggle $100,000-worth of birds into US inside curlers
Songbirds can catch a pretty penny in Brooklyn and Queens, where contests are held to determine which finches have the best voices
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A man has been arrested in New York City after attempting to smuggle $100,000-worth of live birds into the US inside hair curlers, as a part of a scheme to sell them for profit on a Brooklyn and Queens bird singing circuit.
The man, 39-year-old Francis Gurahoo, was arrested as he attempted to bring the birds into the country inside of his carry-on to avoid quarantine. He later told officials he planned on selling for as much as $3,000 each.
According to a complaint filed against Mr Gurahoo, the bird smuggling operation has popped up in response to a considerable demand for songbirds in the city, especially in the Queens and Brooklyn neighbourhoods where bird singing competitions are held in parks.
“In such contests, often conducted in public areas like parks, two finches sing and a judge selects the bird determined to have the best voice. Many who attend the singing contests wager on the birds. A finch who wins these competitions becomes valuable and can sell for in excess of $5,000,” the complaint reads.
The finches Mr Gurahoo were smuggling were from French Guiana, where birds are thought to have especially nice voices.
(US Attorney's Office)
Federal regulations require a permit for anyone importing birds or other wildlife into the US, with those documents being allotted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Federal regulations also stipulate that commercial birds being imported into the country must be quarantined for 30 days, in order to prevent the spread of foreign disease.
It is not clear what charges Mr Gurahoo will face when he appears in court this week.