Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) Ex-Rhodie soldier jailed in the UK

Ex-Rhodie soldier jailed in the UK
By: FoxNews-TZG
Posted: Thursday, August 19, 2010 7:44 pm

AN ex-member of the Rhodesian SAS who tried to smuggle rare eggs worth $110,000 to Dubai has been sentenced to 30 months in jail. Jeffrey Lendrum, 48, now living in England, was caught with 14 peregrine falcon eggs that were placed in socks and taped to his body.

He has a history of egg trafficking in Zimbabwe and Canada, where he was filmed abseiling from a helicopter to steal rare eggs from the top of a tree. Lendrum, who also holds an Irish passport, was found guilty of taking the 14 falcon eggs from a nest in South Wales and trying to export them without a permit.

He was arrested at Birmingham International Airport, on May 3, after cleaner John Struczynski spotted him dashing in and out of the shower in the Emirates' business class lounge at Birmingham International Airport.

But despite his frequent visits, the cleaner found the shower still dry and alerted counter-terrorism police fearing the former soldier had a more sinister purpose.

Officers from the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit found the eggs tied up in socks and taped to his chest.

At first he claimed they were chicken eggs he had bought at Waitrose, before trying to fool police by saying he used them to treat his bad back.

Bred in captivity, the eggs can be bought for around $2,350 each, but are worth much more once hatched.

The eggs, worth GBP70,000 on the black market in Dubai where falconry is a national sport, were still alive when they were seized by officers on May 3.

Eleven of the 14 eggs were successfully incubated and eight chicks have already been reintegrated to nesting sites around the U.K.

The remaining chicks are currently in a wild release programme.

Labels: RHODESIANS

posted by MrK @ 3:39 AM