More than 6,000 illegal wild bird eggs have been seized in the biggest haul of its kind in UK history, following police raids across Scotland, South Yorkshire, Essex, Wales, and Gloucester with eggs found hidden in attics, offices, and drawers.
Reported by The Guardian, the raids, part of Operation Pulka, took place in November as part of an international effort to combat organised wildlife crime, specifically the illegal collection, possession, and trade of wild bird eggs.
The operation began in June 2023 in Norway, leading to 16 arrests and the seizure of more than 56,000 eggs. In Australia, around 3,500 eggs, valued at up to A$500,000 (£250,000), were also confiscated.
Authorities believe these activities are linked to a single international crime network. The National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) has stated that this operation represents the largest wildlife crime bust in the UK, both in terms of the number of eggs seized and the scale of the criminal network involved.
DI Mark Harrison from NWCU told The Guardian: “These criminals are very well organised and connected. The rarer a species is, the higher its demand and value to these criminals. It is likely some of the eggs are very rare.”
Wild egg collecting was made illegal in the UK in 1954, but some collectors persisted, taking their activities underground. Today, all wild birds, their nests, and their eggs are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, making such practices a serious criminal offence.
Discover more wild bird egg content: