Over 6,000 illegal wild bird eggs have been confiscated in the largest seizure of its kind in UK history.
Reported by The Guardian, the raids took place in November 2024 across Scotland, South Yorkshire, Essex, Wales, and Gloucester, with police uncovering eggs hidden in attics, offices, and drawers.
Operation Pulka, an international effort to combat organised wildlife crime, began in June 2023 in Norway. It has since led to 16 arrests and the seizure of more than 56,000 eggs in the UK. Norway and Australia combined. In Australia, approximately 3,500 eggs worth up to A$500,000 (£250,000) were found.
Authorities believe the crimes are linked to a single global network. The National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) described the operation as the largest wildlife crime bust in UK history, citing both the number of eggs seized and the scale of the network.
“These criminals are very well organised and connected,” DI Mark Harrison from NWCU told The Guardian. “The rarer a species is, the higher its demand and value to these criminals. It is likely some of the eggs are very rare.”
Egg collecting has been illegal in the UK since 1954, yet some individuals have continued the practice underground. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 now protects all wild birds, their nests, and eggs, making such activities a serious criminal offence.
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