Two Guyanese Men Busted At JFK Airport With Birds In Hair Curlers

A picture of birds in hair curlers

Two Guyanese nationals have been arrested after attempting to smuggle birds from Guyana in hair curlers into the United States.

The police report that the men were arrested yesterday at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York and charged with illegally smuggling finches.

The 26 birds were found stuffed in the curlers and placed in their socks.

The men have been identified as Victor Benjamin, 72, of Brooklyn and Insaf Ali, 57, of the Bronx.

“My investigation has revealed that individuals keep finches to enter them in singing contests,” said Gabriel Harper of the US Fish and Wildlife Service in a complaint filed in the Eastern District of New York.

In such contests, often conducted in public areas like parks, two finches sing and a judge selects the bird determined to have the best voice.

According to Harper, those who attend the singing contests wager on the birds and the winning finch can sell for US$5,000 or more.

“Although certain species of finch are available in the United States, species from Guyana are believed to sing better and are therefore more highly sought after,” Harper said in the complaint.

“An individual willing to smuggle finches into the United States from Guyana can earn a large profit by selling these birds in the New York area," the complaint added.

Benjamin and Ali were released on a US$20,000 bond.

They did not enter a plea.

If convicted they face up to 20 years in prison.





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