36-year-old poacher arrested after 17 songbirds found in nets

A 36-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday after anti-poaching officers discovered 17 wild songbirds caught in nets in the Larnaca district.

The squad acted in a zone where hunting is banned and uncovered a caller device that mimics bird song together with five mist nets.

All 17 birds were alive and were set free, while the suspect — identified as the manager of the premises where the gear was found — was questioned and confessed to the offences.

Bird trapping feeds an illegal market for songbirds that are served as ambelopoulia, a traditional delicacy made from small birds, and trappers rely on electronic callers to lure the birds into mist nets where they become entangled. Police are continuing their investigation into the case.