More than 500 songbirds, smuggled in from Sicily in a van among boxes of oranges, were yesterday set free under the supervision of planning authority officers.

The 551 birds – haw finches, siskins, green finches, serins and chaffinches – were confiscated by Customs on Monday night after being found at the back of a van on the catamaran.

The smuggled birds where discovered during a search by Customs’ officers. They first noticed a plastic container full of ice and when they moved it aside they saw two small fans.

A further search revealed the songbirds hidden among boxes of oranges in 18 wooden boxes and nine plastic containers.

Customs informed the planning authority’s Avi Fauna Section. The birds were then passed on to the quarantine section and released yesterday afternoon.

One person has been held and the vehicle seized by the authorities.

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