An Italian man was fined €2,600 and given a 12-month jail term suspended for two years after he admitted to smuggling 833 protected finches into Malta on board the Virtù Ferries catamaran on Monday evening.

Pasquale Repaci, 37, from Reggio Calabria admitted to smuggling the birds that include: 300 hawfinches, 302 serins, 218 greenfinches, six linnets, six siskins and one chaffinch - worth €11,395 under Customs' law.

He was also charged with breaching various Customs Regulation - including failing to pay €2,051 in VAT - on Monday at about 11pm.

Mr Repaci had originally claimed there were 400 smuggled birds. The number more than doubled following investigations.

Magistrate Andrey Demicoli also ordered the confiscation of the birds - some of which died and most of which have since been released - as well as his car, a Fiat 600.

He attempted to smuggle the birds in vegetable crates stacked on top of each other in his car but was arrested on arrival.

Police Inspector Jurgen Vella prosecuted.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Angie Muscat represented the accused.

 

 

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