Thai National Arrested at OR Tambo for Smuggling 50 Parrot Eggs

A 50-year-old Thai national was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on August 20, 2026, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 50 endangered parrot eggs out of South Africa. The eggs were concealed in a homemade incubator bag carried as hand luggage, according to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE). Preliminary investigations indicate the eggs belong to parrot species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The arrest was the result of a joint operation involving the DFFE's Green Scorpions environmental enforcement unit, the South African Police Service (SAPS) Crime Intelligence, Border Police, and the Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit. Environment Minister David Maynier stated that the illegal collection and trafficking of parrot eggs pose a serious threat to wild bird populations and animal welfare. He explained that eggs are often concealed in improvised incubation devices and transported under conditions that compromise their survival and endanger the welfare of developing embryos and hatchlings.

Several of the seized eggs have successfully hatched, and...