NEW YORK (WHDH) - United States Customs and Border Control seized 29 finches found concealed in hair rollers inside a Guyana man’s bag at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday.
CBP officers discovered the finches during a secondary baggage examination after the 26-year-old man arrived on a flight from Georgetown, Guyana, the federal law enforcement agency said.
CBP agriculture specialists consulted with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service inspectors who directed CBP to seize the finches.
The man, who was destined to an address in New Jersey, was not criminally charged; however, CBP say they assessed a $300 civil penalty, allowed the man to withdraw his request for admission, and placed him on a Guyana-bound flight on Monday.
The finches were quarantined before being turned over to U.S. Department of Agriculture Veterinary Services.
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