NationStates Jolt Archive

Are you just happy to see me?

Officials nab traveler with pigeons in his pants

SYDNEY (AP) - An Australian traveler was caught with two live pigeons stuffed in his pants following a trip to the Middle East, customs officials said Tuesday. The 23-year-old man was searched after authorities discovered two eggs in a vitamin container in his luggage, said Richard Janeczko, national investigations manager for the Customs Service

They found the pigeons wrapped in padded envelopes and held to each of the man's legs with a pair of tights, according to a statement released by the agency. Officials also seized seeds in his money belt and an undeclared eggplant.

The alleged bird smuggler, who arrived in Melbourne on Sunday on a flight from Dubai, was being questioned.

Australia has very strict quarantine regulations on the importation of wildlife, plants and food to protect health, agriculture and the environment of the isolated island nation.

Charges of wildlife smuggling - which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of 110,000 Australian dollars ($70,430) - could be brought against the man.

Janeczko said the pigeons were not endangered and that the case - as well as the birds, eggs and seeds - had been turned over to the Quarantine Service to assess the health risk associated with bringing the birds into the country.

The Quarantine Service would not comment on the continuing investigation.

Link (http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090203/D964AEF01.html)

I'm suprised the birds didn't make any noise.

I take it he hasnt stated why they were in his pants...

I take it he hasnt stated why they were in his pants...

He likes the funny feeling they provided.

Amateur. :p

Is Australia really considered an island nation? I mean, it's 3.5x the size of Greenland, the largest "island"

Is Australia really considered an island nation? I mean, it's 3.5x the size of Greenland, the largest "island"

And Greenland is 3.5x the size of Suva can we really consider Greenland to be an Island?

Of course Australia is an island it is a body of land surrounded by water. It is the worlds largest island and the worlds smallest continent.

As for the man I think he took the term "budgie smuggler" a bit to far.

And Greenland is 3.5x the size of Suva can we really consider Greenland to be an Island?

Of course Australia is an island it is a body of land surrounded by water. It is the worlds largest island and the worlds smallest continent.

As for the man I think he took the term "budgie smuggler" a bit to far.

Well, all bodies of land are surrounded by water. And this is about to become a massive hijack.

So we'll go with yes, it is an island and Sarky will curl back up into his little ball.

Weird.

Well, all bodies of land are surrounded by water. And this is about to become a massive hijack.

So we'll go with yes, it is an island and Sarky will curl back up into his little ball.

Ok we won't continue it, but Africa isn't neither is Europe or South America. I am only repeating what is taught to me and what is considered fact by many people with the proper credentials to claim these things.

Am I the only one who feels sorry for the victims?
Those poor pigeons...
As much as I hate them, I would never do that to them. Just, y'know, kill them or something. God I hate pigeons.

This thread is for the birds.

They were whistlin' dix-ie.

XD

Sometimes I think I'd like to be a customs person, other than 'rubber glove' time, for which I hope they use a specialist rather than just an ordinary customs officer, I think it would be a pretty interesting job.

Why would you smuggle pigeons? I could imagine a more exotic bird, but PIGEONS?

a song about proper treatment of pigeons (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhuMLpdnOjY)

do I understand correctly that he sat for several hours in a plane w/ these birds strapped to his legs?

How?????

do I understand correctly that he sat for several hours in a plane w/ these birds strapped to his legs?

How?????

I'm not even sure there's a direct flight between Dubai and Sydney, I'd expect a stopover at least,

This was many hours.

I'd just love to hear the story behind this, I really would, they're not even valuable pigeons, just bog-standard rats of the sky.

Also, I could almost understand if he was moving from Dubai to Australia and was particularly attached to these pigeons but it was just a holiday to Dubai as far as I can read.

The whole thing is just bizarre.

bizarre, indeed.

do I understand correctly that he sat for several hours in a plane w/ these birds strapped to his legs?

How?????

I think he was heading from Australia to Dubai, and so was willing to sit for hours with these birds strapped to his legs.

And Barry I think that Emirates nowadays fly direct from Sydney to Dubai

I think he was heading from Australia to Dubai, and so was willing to sit for hours with these birds strapped to his legs.

And Barry I think that Emirates nowadays fly direct from Sydney to Dubai

Actually, the flight was from Dubai to Melbourne, I was distracted by the Sydney tag on the report. There are indeed direct flights between both Dubai and Melbourne and Sydney.

Still, we're looking at a 13 hour flight easily, not including time to get the pigeons strapped in time for Dubai customs.

Just saying...

EDIT: 13hrs 25mins to be exact.

Yeah man I knew it would take awhile to get there, it would be an uncomfortable flight.

Well, all bodies of land are surrounded by water. And this is about to become a massive hijack.

So we'll go with yes, it is an island and Sarky will curl back up into his little ball.
*humms*..North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa..:confused:.. Antartica, and Australia..1234567!:D
To get a little technical Australia also has it's own continental plate.

OP
Wouldn't his rectum had made a better place for the eggs.

Alright, the only solution as to why is this...

Clearly this man is a terrorist but, with increased security for metallic objects, and having watched the NY water landing, he decided the best measure was to smuggle two birds on the plane and then, at the opportune moment, demand to be given control of the plane or he'd throw the birds into the engines.

The birdseed was to throw out so the pigeons would follow before being sucked into the engines.

Of course, once on the plane, he figured out there was no way to throw the birdseed nor the birds into the engines from inside the plane.

Foiled!

So he sat there with the birds strapped to his legs throughout the flight cursing his lack of plane foresight.

Foiled!

So he sat there with the birds strapped to his legs throughout the flight cursing his lack of plane foresight.
I think that's a plight we can all sympathize with. Maybe not exactly trying to get pigeons into airplane engines, but the general theme of failure + bird crap leaking out your trouser legs.

I think that's a plight we can all sympathize with. Maybe not exactly trying to get pigeons into airplane engines, but the general theme of failure + bird crap leaking out your trouser legs.

Yes, yes we can.

I'd've loved to have been party to his thoughts at the point of realising that you can't throw a pigeon out of a 747, that your threat is empty, that you have 2 pigeons strapped to your legs, that you have a 13 hour flight to look forward to, customs, explanations and excuses...

"Ammm, I, ammm.... okay so the pigeons, you want to know know about the pigeons, well, see... amm... right, well what happened was...ammm, sorry, what was the question again?"

Poor pigeons. People suck.

It's funnier with woodpeckers

If you see the picture, you will notice he was also smuggling bear-pelts wrapped around his legs.