The Belgian police have dismantled a gang suspected of stealing valuable pigeons in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Three suspects have been arrested, and two are still being sought. The loot is potentially worth millions of euros.
Two men, aged 24 and 45, were arrested on March 31 in Vilvoorde, Belgium. One hundred pigeons were recovered there, as seen in the photo above this article.
The Belgian police worked with the Romanian police during the raid. They found another 71 pigeons at the home of one of the suspect’s parents. A 40-year-old Romanian man was arrested there. He will be extradited to Belgium at a later date. Two other suspects are still at large.
The police tracked down the gang after a theft in Sint-Truiden on the night of January 5th to 6th. The gang searched social media for the winners of international competitions. “This wave of thefts caused great concern within the world of pigeon racing,” the Belgian public prosecutor’s office reported on Tuesday.
After DNA analysis, several pigeons have been returned to their owners. According to the public prosecutor’s office, these are descendants of “top breeding pigeons and the winners of the prestigious grand prizes of Marseille and Barcelona.”
The Pigeon Fanciers Association has helped the police with the care of the found pigeons. Potential victims of the pigeon theft can contact the association. The police will organize a viewing day together with the association.