A gang of four involved in the smuggling of Alexandrine parakeets (a protected bird species) was arrested by the Forest Cell of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). A total of 16 birds were seized.
A team headed by deputy superintendent of police (DySp) K Ravishakar nabbed Aburar alias Abrar, 27, a resident of Chennai; Guruvayurappan, 40, a bus driver and resident of Chengalpattu in Tamil Nadu; Mirza Mohammed Raza, 20, a BCom student from Neelasandra; and Krishna C, 24, a farmer, of Kenchanahalli village in Mandya district.
The CID acted on a tip-off about the gang, which used to bring the birds to the city from Chennai in private buses. They used to sell them to various pet shops in the city.
Investigations revealed that the accused used to source parakeets from a man named Sameer in Tamil Nadu, and either supplied them to pet shops or directly to customers in southern states.
The birds were handed over to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Rescue Centre (WRRC) in Bannerghatta.