LAKKI MARWAT, Dec 7: The wildlife department foiled a bid of smuggling birds from the frontier region to the down country on late Tuesday night. Acting on a tip-off, the wildlife divisional forest officer, Khan Malook, formed a special team and ordered it to thwart the birds smuggling attempt at all costs.

An official said on Wednesday that the team stopped a passenger coach coming from FR Lakki near Manzar Faqeer police post on Tajori Road and recovered 96 birds from it. “The birds concealed in plastic bags were being transported illegally to other parts of the country from the tribal area,” he said.

He said that the seized birds included 69 brown partridges, 20 sea-sea partridges, four red legged partridges and three black partridges. “The wildlife officials arrested an alleged birds’ smuggler identified as Meer Alam and registered a case against him,” he said.

Meanwhile, DFO Khan Malook told this correspondent by phone from Bannu that the subordinate officials of the department range officers, deputy range officers and watchers had been strictly directed to deal birds’ smugglers and violators of wildlife act with iron hands.

He appreciated the performance of Lakki Marwat range wildlife officials for foiling the birds’ smuggling bid and announced commendation certificates and cash prizes for them.