KHANEWAL: Wildlife officials foiled a bid to smuggle hundreds of precious birds during a raid on a train before their transportation to Karachi and released the flock into the air on court orders here Monday.

District wildlife officer Muhammad Hussain Khan Gishkori, ona tip-off, raided Millat Express at Khanewal junction and recovered hundreds of precious birds including parrots, sparrows, a bird traditionally called 'Lali' and others.

The alleged smuggler, Khalid, however, managed to escape leaving the flock behind.

The birds were produced before the court of magistrate Mrs. Ayesha Imtiaz Ali who ordered to release the birds in the presence of the media.

After releasing the birds, officials said that the illegal business of birds smuggling was thriving and the birds recovered from the train were to be smuggled to Iraq, Iran and other countries.

Gishkori said that Punjab Wildlife Department was committed to checking the illegal activity to save the endangered birds and animals and added that the department had also recovered another flock of birds sometime ago in Khanewal.

Source: APP