Since the beginning of 2026, Russian customs officials have thwarted several attempts to illegally import exotic animals worth more than 5.5 million rubles. The confiscated items include rare birds and turtles. One of the largest incidents involved a shipment originating from Uzbekistan.

In the Orenburg region, a minibus traveling from Tashkent via Kazakhstan to the Moscow area was stopped. Inside, authorities found cages containing 103 birds: 93 parrots, eight Bahama ducks, and two mountain turkeys. The driver had no import permits. He claimed he only had veterinary documents from the country of departure and was supposed to hand over the cargo to an unknown person. All birds were transferred to the Ulyanovsk Zoo.

Another major case occurred at Domodedovo Airport, where a passenger from Tajikistan was found carrying 476 Central Asian turtles worth over 3 million rubles. The man admitted he intended to sell them online. The seized animals were temporarily placed in the Moscow Zoo's Rare Species Reproduction Center.

Earlier, Samara customs officers confiscated four rare parrots illegally transported from Uzbekistan. These incidents highlight the ongoing issue of wildlife trafficking across CIS borders.

Source: podrobno.uz