by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:22 AM ET, Thu December 13, 2018
Security officers working at a New York City airport caught a passenger attempting to smuggle 70 live birds in a carry-on bag Saturday.
According to the official website of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), agents working at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York stopped an unidentified passenger who flew to the city from Georgetown, Guyana.
When CBP officers stopped the man following his flight, they found 70 finches inside hair rollers in a black duffle bag. The birds were confiscated, detained under quarantine and turned over to the United States Department of Veterinary Services.
"CBP Agriculture Specialists are the first line of defense to prevent the introduction of animal diseases that have the potential to cause significant damage to the nation's agricultural economy," CBP New York field office director Troy Miller said.
Security officials were concerned about the birds due to a number of potentially fatal diseases and parasites that can spread to humans and other animals, such as the 2015 spread of the bird flu which resulted in the culling of 50 million commercial turkeys and chickens.
Passengers continue to attempt to smuggle animals through airports, as one female traveler was discovered in October sneaking her cat onto her flight in a carry-on bag. She was caught by attendants and immediately removed from the plane.
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