The Punjab Wildlife Department carried out an operation in Khanewal, seizing a large consignment of dead wild birds being smuggled from Karachi to Okara. Authorities recovered a total of 7,702 birds, including sparrows, mynas, bulbuls, ducks and partridges, and said efforts were underway to arrest the suspect.
According to officials, the operation was carried out on the basis of secret information. Under the supervision of Deputy Chief Wildlife Ranger, Multan, Dr Sajjad Hussain, Deputy Chief Wildlife Ranger Khanewal Munawar Hussain Najmi and his team set up a check post and searched a passenger bus arriving from Karachi.
During the search, officials recovered 4,304 sparrows, 3,200 minas and bulbuls, 196 ducks and two partridges. All the birds were found dead and had been booked for transportation in the name of a person identified as Rafiq, a resident of Okara. Authorities said legal proceedings were underway to arrest the suspect.
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In a separate operation in Attock district, Deputy Chief Wildlife Ranger Shahzaib Khurshid and his team arrested three suspects for illegal hunting and possession of urial and partridges.
A fine of Rs 150,000 was imposed on a person found hunting and possessing partridges, while a case was registered against another person who uploaded and circulated a video of urial hunting on social media. New legal actions have been initiated.
Punjab Wildlife officials said operations against poaching and wildlife smuggling would continue.
