Man found with £7K of exotic jungle bird feathers when police searched his home

Wales Online

3 days ago

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A Conwy man was found to be in possession of rare and exotic bird feathers worth almost £7,000 when police searched his home. Officers were initially alerted by the seizure of two parcels of feathers at Birmingham Airport.
The packages, intercepted by Border Force Officers in January, were marked for delivery to an address in North Wales. They contained 60 pieces of Grey junglefowl capes with no import permit.
Fowl capes are portions of a bird's neck and upper chest which contain 'hackle' feathers. These are highly sought after by fly fishermen for creating artificial flies due to their unique structure and patterns.
Following an investigation by the North Wales Police (NWP) rural crime team and the National Wildlife Crime Unit, David Pugh was arrested.
During a search of his property, further capes were found, amounting to a value of almost £7,000.
Pugh, of Primrose Hill, St George, was sentenced for his involvement in the illegal wildlife trade when he appeared before Llandudno Magistrates last week (Wednesday, August 6).
He admitted to three offences involving a protected bird species under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species Regulations 2018 (COTES). The North Wales Live Whatsapp community for top stories and breaking news is live now - here's how to sign up
(Image: North Wales Police)
The court ordered Pugh to pay costs and fines totalling £1,165. A forfeiture and destruction order was also imposed on the items seized.
Sgt Peter Evans of the NWP rural crime team said: 'COTES was set up to protect endangered species and ensures this type of criminality does not threaten the survival of vulnerable wildlife, or fuel global trafficking networks.
'We are determined to bring perpetrators like Pugh to justice, who exploit endangered species for their own financial gain.
'This investigation would not have been possible without the support from the National Wildlife Crime Unit, who played a vital part in Pugh's sentencing.'
Grey junglefowl are native to India. Males are prized for their distinctive neck capes, which typically have a black base with golden or ochre spots. While not currently endangered, populations are falling amid habitat loss and hunting.
Kevin Lacks-Kelly, head of the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, said: 'Illegal wildlife trade is alive and kicking in the UK.
"This case is a clear example of how people will exploit protected species for financial gain.' Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
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