Officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have seized here 19 exotic birds of various species which were allegedly smuggled into India for sale, an official said Monday. The seized avians include 15 birds of species Agapornis, commonly known as 'Love birds' of African origin, one Sun parakeet, two great Billed parrot of Philippines origin and one white cockatoo of Indonesian origin, he said.

The birds were seized from the premises of one Dominic Sequira, a resident of Vadgaon Sheri, the DRI official told PTI. "On the basis of specific information, the Pune unit of the DRI, with assistance of officers of the Pune Customs Commissionerate, on October 7 recovered illegally imported foreign exotic birds," he said. The birds were handed over to the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park here for safe custody.