HYDERABAD: In a joint operation, South Zone police and Forest Department officials on Wednesday arrested a bird seller for illegally selling barn owls in Old city.
According to police, accused Kamran Ali Farooqhi aka Imran Ali has been a bird seller since five years at Murgi Chowk in Hussaini Alam area. He has been illegally acquiring different types of exotic birds and animals and selling them through his known contacts.
Imran Ali would frequently enter the Srisailam forests from surrounding villages and trap birds from near water bodies. In the process, he came across nests of barn owls. He was catching them during early morning hours and bringing them to Hyderabad for sales at high prices.
Task Force additional deputy commissioner of police G. Chakravarthy said barn owls as pets have a huge demand in the market. Each owl would sell at a price ranging from Rs. 10,000 to Rs 1,00,000. There is a superstition that carrying a barn own around humans would bring good luck to that person.
Following information on Wednesday, Task Force police and Forest Department officials caught Imran Ali at Gudi Ka Dawakhana in Falaknuma and recovered 15 barn owls from him.
