Poachers busted in Alhaurin el Grande after stealing rare chicks to sell with fake papers

Wildlife officers in Alhaurin el Grande have dismantled a sophisticated poaching operation targeting protected birds of prey across the Costa del Sol.

How falconry experts triggered Operation Betula

Operation Betula began when falconry experts raised alarms about individuals systematically scouring woodland regions in Alhaurin el Grande during spring breeding periods. Reports indicated that a group was actively tracking protected raptor populations to steal young chicks directly from their nests. Armed with extensive knowledge of local ecosystems, the poachers targeted Northern Goshawk and Eurasian Sparrowhawk nests hidden high in trees. Raiding parties deliberately left at least one chick in every nest, ensuring parent birds would return to breed in the same spot the following year.

Fake leg rings and licences used to ring-fence illegal profits

Laundering the wild chicks required a licensed breeding facility where suspects fitted closed metal leg bands onto young birds. Fraudulent transfer certificates and breeding documents were then forged to pass off poached wild chicks as captive-bred stock. These illegally acquired birds were subsequently pushed onto the commercial market, fetching extraordinarily high prices from unsuspecting buyers.

High market value drives illicit trade

Demand from falconry enthusiasts and private bird collectors drives this illicit trade, as legally bred raptors command high prices on the commercial market. Northern Goshawks are especially prized for woodland game hunting, with individual birds fetching anywhere between €1,500 and €4,000. By forging breeding paperwork and ringing wild chicks, poachers can pocket thousands of euros per bird while evading strict international conservation laws.

Intercepted as they prepared to raid

Civil Guard officers intercepted the suspects in the countryside as they prepared to raid active nests, finding metal bands hidden in their backpacks. Specialist forensics teams from the Guardia Civil Criminalistics Laboratory have since taken DNA samples from the seized birds to prove their wild origins. Searches of several properties and the involved zoological facility uncovered detailed hand-drawn maps, nest coordinates, and falsified commercial documentation. Two individuals now face criminal charges for wildlife trafficking and document forgery following the successful police action.