A Thai man was arrested at an airport in South Africa for attempting to smuggle a large number of parrot eggs into the country. He is the second Thai national in less than two months to be arrested at the same airport on the same charge.
On Wednesday, 26 Aug 2026 GMT+7, South Africa's Department of Environment revealed that customs officials arrested a Thai man who attempted to smuggle 50 eggs of suspected endangered parrot species through Johannesburg's main airport.
The department stated in a press release that the 50-year-old suspect was detained last week at OR Tambo International Airport after officials discovered the eggs concealed inside a homemade incubator bag, which was carried as hand luggage.
Preliminary investigations indicate the eggs belong to a parrot species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the department added.
If found guilty, the suspect could face a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, a fine of 10 million rand (about 20 million baht), or both.
In July, a similar incident occurred when a 23-year-old Thai man was detained at the same airport with 418 parrot eggs.
"These arrests highlight the growing complexity of transnational wildlife trafficking networks," South Africa's Department of Environment stated, adding that investigations in both cases are ongoing.
Wildlife trafficking remains a major threat in South Africa, one of the world's most biodiverse countries. Transnational criminal groups target animals like rhinos and elephants, as well as lesser-known species such as pangolins and reptiles, to supply a highly profitable global black market.
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Source:cna