RIYADH: Customs officials at King Fahd Causeway seized 2,470 pet birds being smuggled into the Kingdom. Custom Control Director Dhaifullah Al-Otaibi said the birds were kept in cages and divided in four trucks.
The first truck had 1,310 birds in cages, the second had 510 birds, the third had 350 birds and the fourth truck had 300 birds.
The cages were hidden in various compartments at the back and front of the trucks. The Kingdom strictly bans import of live birds unless authorized by the Customs Control at rare occasions and for research purposes.