VLADIVOSTOK, December 11 (RIA Novosti) – Two men were detained by police in Russia’s Jewish Autonomous Region for smuggling 19 endangered gyrfalcons worth a combined 22 million rubles ($670,000), investigators said Wednesday.
One of the birds died while being moved in a car, but the rest were seized and placed in a shelter, a spokesman for the Investigative Committee’s far east region branch said.
The suspects, whose names were withheld, face up to three years in prison and a fine of up to 1 million rubles ($30,500) on charges of smuggling endangered animals.
Gyrfalcons are not on the international list of endangered species, but are listed as such in Russia, where under 1,000 remain, according to the country’s Red Data Book of endangered species and plants.
The gyrfalcons in the Jewish Autonomous Region were apparently intended to be sold abroad, the investigation spokesman said.
Various species of Russian falcons are in high demand with falconry enthusiasts, including Arab sheikhs, and can fetch up to $100,000 per bird.
Two Arab princes were accused last year of trying to smuggle 49 rare birds out of Russia, but dodged prosecution due to their diplomatic immunity.
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