Ancona, alleged illicit trafficking of decoy birds discovered, 6 complaints between the provinces of Pesaro-Urbino, Forlì-Cesena and Udine
505 decoy birds of illegal origin seized: 6 suspects risk the penalties foreseen for the crimes of receiving stolen goods, aggravated theft, alteration of state seals and hunting crimes.
Ancona, alleged illicit trafficking of decoy birds discovered, 6 complaints between the provinces of Pesaro-Urbino, Forlì-Cesena and Udine.
In recent days, personal and local searches delegated by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Urbino were carried out by the Forestry Carabinieri of various departments on 6 people residing in the Marche, Emilia-Romagna and Friuli Venezia-Giulia regions, including three breeders and traders of birds used as decoys for hunting activities. All the subjects are currently under investigation in various capacities for various crimes: aggravated theft against the State, receiving stolen goods, tampering with State seals, fowling and illegal detention of wildlife for commercial purposes.
The investigations - which lasted over ten months in order to trace the subjects involved in various capacities in illegal trafficking and to collect sources of evidence against the suspects - made it possible to bring to light a large alleged trafficking of decoy birds of illegal origin ; according to the accusatory hypothesis, the birds were in fact captured in the wild during the migration period and were then "regularized" with the affixing of rings or altered or forcibly inserted into the legs causing injuries to the limbs. During the operations, some birds without identification rings were also seized and were awaiting their illegal attachment.
European and national legislation prohibits the capture of birds in the wild with nets or other unauthorized tools. The only decoys that can be used for hunting are those born in captivity on authorized farms and which after birth are regularly marked with an irremovable ring, placed on the paw in the first days of the animals' life. Ornithologists, able
to recognize the age of the birds, appointed judicial police auxiliaries by the Forestry Carabinieri, during the searches they were able to ascertain that a large number of animals born before 2021 were identified with rings made in 2022, then inserted into the paws of the adult animals subsequently to capture in the wild.
The alleged trafficking earned the suspects many thousands of euros. In fact, the investigations revealed that during the migration period, in one night, poachers were able to capture dozens of birds with nets and electronic decoys which were then resold to hunters - once "legalised" with the rings affixed fraudulently - at considerable prices. ; they, depending on the type of recall,
they could reach 180 euros for blackbirds, 200 euros for song thrushes, and an even higher price for fieldfares.
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