JFK bird smuggler hid 35 live finches in pants and jacket during 6-hour flight: feds

A 36-year-old man was arrested at JFK Airport and charged with violating wildlife trafficking laws after customs agents found 35 live finches concealed in his jacket and under his pants. Images via court documents 

By David Brand

A traveler from Guyana was arrested at Kennedy Airport Monday after customs agents found 35 live finches tucked away under his pants and jacket.

Federal prosecutors said the man, 36-year-old Kevin Andre McKenzie, stuffed the songbirds inside hair curlers, which he hid under his jacket and in special ankle holsters during the six-hour flight from Georgetown, the capital of Guyana.

Finch-smuggling violates federal animal transport laws, but has become big business in Queens and Brooklyn, where people bet on the birds in singing competitions. Prized singers can sell for more than $10,000, according to court papers. But they may also carry infectious diseases.

McKenzie told investigators he was offered $3,000 to transport the birds into the United States — $500 before the flight and another $2,500 after getting through customs.

McKenzie was be released on $25,000 bond Tuesday.