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).