Thai held over parrot eggs haul in South Africa

South African customs officials arrested a Thai national trying to smuggle 50 suspected endangered parrot eggs through Johannesburg's main airport, the environment ministry said Wednesday.

The 50-year-old was arrested last week at OR Tambo International Airport after officials found the eggs concealed inside a homemade incubator bag being carried as hand luggage, the ministry said in a statement.

Preliminary investigations suggest the eggs belong to parrot species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the ministry said.

If convicted, the suspect could face up to 10 years in prison or a 10 million rand ($627,000) fine or both.

The arrest follows a similar incident in July, when a 23-year-old Thai national was detained at the same airport with 418 parrot eggs.

"These arrests highlight the growing sophistication of transnational wildlife trafficking networks," the ministry said, adding that investigations in both cases were continuing.

Wildlife trafficking remains a major threat in South Africa, one of the world's most biodiverse countries.

Crime syndicates target iconic species such as rhinos and elephants, but also lesser?known creatures including pangolins and reptiles, feeding a lucrative global black market.