By Tom Cleaver
The British bases on Thursday announced that a total of 312 blackcaps – commonly known as ‘ambelopolia’ – which had been illegally trapped, had been seized at crossing points they operate during the month of October.
The birds were seized during three separate checks, and the vehicles’ owners were arrested and charged.
The bases’ Dhekelia area customs team lead Mark Hartley said the bases’ customs department and police “work closely to ensure birds are not smuggled over crossing points”, especially given that “the illegal trade of wildlife is the fourth largest illegal trade in the world”.
“We are committed to detecting any attempts to illegally import protected species across the Green Line. With the current migrating blackcap season, [customs teams] are operationally deployed to intercept any movements of these protected birds crossing the bases’ boundaries,” he said.
He added, “the detection of these blackcaps highlights our commitment to tackling wildlife crime, which has a devastating environmental impact. Our actions are an integral part of tackling a global issue and protecting endangered species.”
The bases’ police have this year been able to call upon a “record number” of dedicated officers, with chief inspector Fanos Christodoulou saying the arrests “show we are fully dedicated to combating this illegal activity”.
“We have had the capacity to call on up to 10 members of the military to assist us in our operations when working on military land and on top of that, we have worked very closely with BirdLife Cyprus and the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) to combat bird trapping,” he said.
He added, “we have continued to invest in technology, with drones, hidden cameras, and other modern means of detection. This is a serious crime and one that will continue to tackle everything that we have at our disposal.”
He had warned at the beginning of the blackcaps’ migration season that those who illegally trap ambelopoulia “will be punished to the full extent of the law,” and that his team was “ready”.
“We are committed to punishing those caught bird trapping. Issuing heavy fines sends a strong message that this crime will not be tolerated. Seizing vehicles disrupts trappers both in their operations and personal lives,” he said.
