UP: Two bird smugglers arrested in Ghaziabad, 5 owls recovered

Ghaziabad Police on Tuesday arrested two bird smugglers and recovered five owls of rare species from their possession.

Acting on a tip-off, the duo was nabbed before they could sell owls to a buyer who was planning to sacrifice owls in the name of social malpractice.

"We got the information about two people who are involved in bird smuggling. We have arrested them and seized five owls of rare species from them. There is social malpractice in which owls are sacrificed on Diwali by exorcists. They were arrested before they could deliver owls to a buyer. We are tracing the buyer," SP Ghaziabad City, Manish Mishra told reporters here.

Later, the police handed over owls to the forest department officials.