The finches held in confined spaces that Pasquale Repaci had previously attempted to smuggle into Malta before being caught by Italian authorities.

Pasquale Repaci, the Italian man convicted of smuggling over 800 protected finches into the country last week, was involved in the attempted smuggling of another 600 finches to Malta last October, The Sunday Times of Malta can reveal.

Italian law enforcement authorities have confirmed Mr Repaci, 37, from Reggio Calabria was caught in Sicily attempting to board the catamaran to Malta last October with about 600 protected finches held in small wooden boxes.

He was a passenger in the car driven by another man who has since been charged with the illegal smuggling of protected birds. The case is ongoing in Italian courts. Mr Repaci was not charged because the driver protected him by saying all the birds were his, according to an Italian law enforcement official.

“Now, the case in Malta tells us that this is what Mr Repaci is doing for a living,” he added.

Over 800 protected finches were smuggled into the country last Monday evening by Mr Repaci. He 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.

Investigations into the smuggling attempt on board the Virtu Ferries catamaran revealed the total number of birds brought in was more than double the 400 birds Mr Repaci had originally claimed to have brought into the country.

The demand arises because live decoys are needed on trapping sites to lure the wild birds with their song

He was fined €2,600 and given a 12-month jail term suspended for two years. Magistrate Andrey Demicoli also ordered the confiscation of the birds as well as his car, a Fiat 600.

Most of the protected finches were released in an undisclosed location – to protect them from local trappers. About 50 died before they could be released, and another 50 are being held in an office due to the lack of government facilities to cater for such birds needing rehabilitation.

The smuggling of finches yields thousands of euros in income to the suppliers – a finch can easily fetch €100 to €250 in Malta when it is bought for close to nothing in Sicily.

Law enforcement officers told The Sunday Times of Malta that the protected birds seized were just the tip of the iceberg.

The derogation (exemption) from the EU Birds Directive implemented by the government following years in which the trapping of songbirds was banned has created a demand for the protected birds leading to their illegal smuggling from abroad.

The demand arises because live decoys are needed on trapping sites to lure the wild birds with their song. That enables the trappers to capture a flock that lands on the net following the bird’s call.