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This combination of photos provided Sunday, June 16, 2019, by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York shows a bag containing hair curlers used to smuggle live finches into the United States from Guyana and a finch inside one of the rollers in New York. Federal authorities say a 39-year-old Connecticut man has been caught on Sunday trying to smuggle nearly three dozen live finches through John F. Kennedy Airport in order to sell them for singing competitions. (U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York via AP)

Man caught at JFK smuggling 34 finches in hair curlers

 By The Associated Press  June 18, 2019 at 1:17pm
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NEW YORK (AP) — Federal authorities say a 39-year-old Connecticut man has been caught trying to smuggle nearly three dozen live finches through John F. Kennedy Airport in order to sell them for singing competitions.

Francis Gurahoo was arrested Sunday after arriving on a flight from Georgetown, Guyana. Prosecutors say customs officials found the 34 live birds in his carry-on luggage hidden inside individual plastic hair curlers.

Gurahoo was arraigned Monday on a charge of unlawful wildlife smuggling. Information on his lawyer wasn’t immediately available.

Officials say the finches from Guyana are prized. They are used in singing contests in Brooklyn and Queens where wages are placed on the birds with the best voice. Prosecutors say Gurahoo said he planned to sell them for about $3,000 each, for a total haul of over $100,000.

Last December, customs officials at JFK Airport found 70 live finches hidden inside hair rollers in a duffel bag from a passenger arriving from Guyana.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection says bird smuggling could threaten agriculture through the possible spread of diseases such as bird flu

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

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The Associated Press
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
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