Birds placed in empty cat food boxes in failed smuggling bid

More than 130 birds were stuffed in 12 empty boxes of cat food in an attempt by a Libyan man to smuggle them out of the country, a court heard yesterday.

Shaban Giuma El Ghazik, 27, admitted to the single charge of animal cruelty when he tried to leave the country by air on Wednesday afternoon carrying the canaries and budgerigars.

Police Inspector Alex Miruzzi told the court he was pushing for a suspended jail term and a fine to send a clear message this should not be done, adding such type of incidents were on the increase. He said there were now two cases a month.

However, legal aid lawyer Mark Busuttil argued his client did not deserve a suspended jail term because the number of cases taking place should not affect the accused who was a first time offender. Moreover, there was no malice, and his client had not hidden the birds and was not aware that what he was doing was illegal.

Magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna handed down a six-month jail term suspended for one year and fined Mr El Ghazik €240.