A month-long Border Police intelligence operation ended on Monday night when suspects broke into a parrot habitat in Migdal Ha’Emek and stole dozens of parrots worth about NIS 1 million, BeChadrei Chareidim reported.

“Within a few moments of the suspects arriving in the habitat they were already on their way out. At first we were sure that they hadn’t managed to steal anything but when we stopped them, we found cages with dozens of screeching parrots in the back of the truck. Some of the parrots [were screeching] due to fear and panic and some as a result of severe injuries – broken legs, beaks and wings which were apparently caused by the cages being hurriedly thrown into the truck and by the shaking of the truck as they drove,” the Border Police operations commander said. Five of the parrots didn’t survive the cruel treatment and were found dead.

Police officers stopped the truck and another two vehicles on Highway 6 and arrested three suspects, a resident of the Palestinian town of Anabta who was in Israel illegally and two East Jerusalem residents.

Police suspect that a number of suspects arrived at the habitat and spent a number of hours putting the parrots into the cages. When they spotted the police, they had no choice but to quickly throw the cages into their vehicles and zoom off.

The police brought the suspects to the Petach Tikva Magistrate’s Court and their arrest was extended until Thursday.

The owner of the habitat was called and he traveled to the Border Police base in central Israel to recover the parrots.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)