Two birdbrains are under arrest after trying to smuggle finches — that they stuffed into hair curlers — into the U.S., federal authorities say.
The two city men were busted after they brought 26 finches from Guyana into the U.S., the feds said. The pair allegedly thought the birds could win them money in bird-singing contests.
Victor Benjamin and Insaf Ali unflinchingly stashed the mellifluous finches into hair curlers, according to Brooklyn federal prosecution court papers.
Customs officers discovered the undeclared songsters when Benjamin and Ali were picked for inspection Wednesday at Kennedy Airport after arriving from Georgetown, Guyana.
In recent years, customs officers have bagged “numerous” finch smugglers, court papers say. The birds are put into singing contests where wagers are made and the feathered talent can be sold for more than $5,000.
JFK Airport customs officers found finches stuffed into hair curlers when Victor Benjamin and Insaf Ali were picked for inspection.
(U.S. Customs and Border Protection)The birds are slated for quarantine by the U.S. Agriculture Department.
Benjamin, a 72-year-old Brooklyn resident, and Ali, a 57-year-old Bronx resident, were released Wednesday on $20,000 bond.
They could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
