Weird Bird Smuggling News

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Liquids? Nope. Gels? Nah. Aerosols? Uh-uh. Birds? Ah-ha!

Yesterday, a man attempting to smuggle songbirds into the US from Vietnam was betrayed by his flamboyant leggings:

Sony Dong, 46, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in March after an inspector spotted bird feathers and droppings on his socks and tail feathers peeking out from under his pants, prosecutors said.

“He had fashioned these special cloth devices to hold the birds,” said U.S. attorney spokesman Thom Mrozek. “They were secured by cloth wrappings and attached to his calves with buttons.”

The reason? American collectors shell out $400 per bird. They cost less than $30 each in Vietnam.

In other bird smuggling news, over at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, customs officers discovered that a Nigerian passenger was carrying a souvenir pigeon head concealed in some homemade soap. (HT @noahwilliamgray.)

More bird smuggling stories? Post ’em in the comments.

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