Man, 39, arrested at JFK Airport and charged with trying to smuggle 34 song birds worth $3,000 EACH hidden inside plastic hair curlers from Guyana into the US
- Francis Gurahoo, 39, from Connecticut, was arrested Sunday for allegedly trying to smuggle dozens of finches in his carry-on luggage
- Finches are used in singing contests in Brooklyn and Queens where wagers are placed on the birds with the best ‘voice’
- Gurahoo said he planned to sell the finches for about $3,000 each, according to prosecutors
- Federal regulations require importers to declare the importation of any wildlife and to secure a permit
A Connecticut man has been charged with trying to smuggle 34 song birds in plastic hair curlers into the US.
Francis Gurahoo, 39, is accused of bringing the finches into the country from Guyana.
The discovery was made when Gurahoo underwent a random search by Customs and Border Patrol officials after arriving at JFK airport, New York, Sunday on a flight from Georgetown, Guyana, South America.
A man was arrested at JFK Airport and accused of trying to smuggle 34 finches concealed in plastic hair curlers from Guyana into the U.S.
Smuggled finches are used in singing contests in Brooklyn and Queens where wagers are placed on the birds with the best ‘voice,’ according to prosecutors
Smuggled finches are used in singing contests in Brooklyn and Queens where wagers are placed on the birds with the best ‘voice,’ according to prosecutors.
According to a complaint filed by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, Gurahoo, said he planned to sell the finches for about $3,000 each and allegedly admitted that he intended to smuggle the birds to avoid quarantine, as reported by NBC 4 New York.
According to the complaint, contests involving singing finches are held in public areas like parks.
Two of the finches sing and a judge selects the bird with the best voice.
The finches were discovered after Francis Gurahoo, 39, underwent a random search by Customs and Border Patrol officials after arriving at JFK airport, New York, (pictured above) Sunday
According to a complaint filed by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, Gurahoo, said he planned to sell the finches for about $3,000 each and allegedly admitted that he intended to smuggle the birds to avoid quarantine (Male Chaffinch pictured above)
Bets are placed on the birds.
‘A finch who wins these competitions becomes valuable and can sell for more than $5,000,’ the complaint details.
Authorities say finches from Guyana are thought to ‘sing better’ and are highly sought after.
On December 8, 2018, a man travelling from Guyana to New York was subjected to a luggage search by border agents.
Hidden inside the bag officers discovered 70 live finches, each individually packed into orange and green hair rollers.
On December 8, 2018, a man travelling from Guyana to New York was subjected to a luggage search by border agents. Hidden inside the bag officers discovered 70 live finches, each individually packed into orange and green hair rollers (pictured above)
The unnamed Guyanese citizen wasn’t detained on this occasion.
Instead, he was denied entry to the US and returned to his home country.
There are strict federal regulations regarding bringing birds into the U.S.
Importers are required to declare the importation of any wildlife and to secure a permit from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Furthermore imported commercial birds have to be quarantined for 30 days to prevent the potential spread of disease carried by foreign birds.
Gurahoo is scheduled to appear in court Monday.