Guernsey Press

Man arrested after trying to smuggle 34 finches in hair curlers

The birds are said to be particularly prized for use in singing contests in Brooklyn and Queens.

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A 39-year-old Connecticut man has been caught trying to smuggle nearly three dozen live finches through John F Kennedy Airport in order to sell them for singing competitions.

Francis Gurahoo was arrested after arriving in New York on a flight from Georgetown, Guyana.

Prosecutors say customs officials found the 34 live birds in his carry-on luggage hidden inside individual plastic hair curlers.

Gurahoo was arraigned on a charge of unlawful wildlife smuggling.

Officials say the finches from Guyana are prized.

Finches
The birds are prized for their singing voices (Ian Nicholson/PA)

Prosecutors allege Gurahoo said he planned to sell them for about 3,000 dollars (£2,300) each, for a total haul of more than 100,000 dollars (£80,000).

Last December, customs officials at JFK Airport found 70 live finches hidden inside hair rollers in a duffel bag from a passenger arriving from Guyana.

US customs and border protection said bird smuggling could threaten agriculture through the possible spread of diseases such as bird flu.

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