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Essex Police arrest man after thousands of wild birds eggs seized

Drawers full of wild birds’ eggs seized during the raid in Essex.

A man has been arrested and thousands of wild birds eggs seized during a warrant carried out by our Wildlife Crime specialists within our Rural Engagement Team in Benfleet.

Officers attended an address on Thursday 21 November as part of co-ordinated activity across the UK to tackle the illegal trade in wild bird eggs, with similar warrants taking place elsewhere.

Thousands of eggs were seized and a 62 year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing wild bird eggs illegally in contravention of Section One of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

He has since been released on bail until 25 January.

Our investigation has fallen out from an investigation into the theft and sale of bird eggs which originated in Norway in June 2023.

Since then, more than a dozen warrants have been carried out, more than 56,000 bird eggs seized, and more than a dozen arrests and charges in Norway.

 

3 December 2024

 

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