(haipo) Following an undercover investigation by Lieutenant Colonel Erez of the Northern Border Guard and the Nature and Parks Authority, two suspects, residents of Umm al-Fahm and the village of 'Anin in the Jenin district, were arrested on suspicion of hunting, smuggling, and trafficking thousands of protected songbirds of the black-capped chickadee type, which were allegedly sold to customers across the country for food and in exchange for money.
Months of undercover investigation led to arrests
In recent months, an undercover investigation has been conducted by Chief Petty Officer Erez at the Northern Border Guard, in collaboration with teams from the Nature and Parks Authority in the Nature Reserves Command of the Civil Administration. The investigation was opened following intelligence information received by the Coastal Border Guard, on suspicion of committing hunting offenses, smuggling protected natural values, and harming protected wildlife. As part of the investigation, Chief Petty Officer Erez's detectives and intelligence coordinators worked together with inspectors from the Nature and Parks Authority to collect evidence and substantiate suspicions against those involved. According to the suspicion, the two suspects trafficked thousands of protected birds and sold them to customers across the country in violation of the law and in exchange for money, with the birds suspected of being intended for food and distribution.
Raid on suspects' homes and seizure of hundreds of frozen birds
As the investigation moved into the open phase, detectives and intelligence coordinators from the Erez Police Department, along with inspectors from the Nature and Parks Authority, soldiers from the Judea and Samaria Border Guard, and other forces, raided the homes of the two suspects and arrested them. As part of the searches and collection of investigation materials, hundreds of frozen specimens of black-capped chickadees, a protected bird that is prohibited from hunting, were seized. One of the suspects was brought before the court yesterday for a hearing on a request to extend his detention, and his detention was extended until Wednesday, 10/7/26. The other suspect was scheduled to be brought before the court today for a hearing on extending his detention.
What is a black-capped chickadee – a protected songbird that is prohibited from hunting or eating?
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority notes that the black-capped wagtail is a species of songbird from the wagtail family, a migratory species common in Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and also winters in Israel. The male is particularly recognizable by the black "hood" on its head, while the female has a brown hood. Like all songbirds, it is a protected bird that is prohibited from hunting and eating by law. The phenomenon of hunting and trading in protected songbirds constitutes a serious violation of protected natural values, and the police and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority are working to enforce the law and eradicate the phenomenon.
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