Recently, Zhengzhou Customs seized 25 feather skins of kingfishers in an inbound postal parcel from India at Zhengzhou Post Office.

The kingfisher (scientific name: Alcedo atthis) can be found in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013, therefore its feather skins are prohibited from being mailed. In this case, most feather skins were covered with blood, indicating an absence of quarantine treatment, thus posing high risk to public health. By now, the Customs has sealed up the parcel and thoroughly disinfected the storage place.

In order to prevent major public health risks from the source, Zhengzhou Customs District has strengthened control over inbound and outbound parcels, with all inbound parcels subjected to non-intrusive inspection. Once found, smuggling cases will be handed over to the anti-smuggling bureaus. All these efforts will help fight against illegal trafficking of wild animals and their products through the postal channel.