Pigeon suspected to be China’s spy set free

Pigeon suspected to be China’s spy set free

AFTER eight months of being locked and kept at a city hospital in India, the police dropped charges against a suspected spy pigeon for China.

The bird was caught at a port in Mumbai in May 2023.

Reports said it was found with two rings tied to its legs and had writings on its wings that looked like Chinese scripts.

And after months of investigation by authorities, they have given formal permission for the hospital to release the pigeon.

Reports also say that Peta India intervened after knowing that the bird had been detained.

The pigeon was freed in good health.

Although unusual, one of the reasons why India detained the bird—aside from catching human spies, was probably due to a 2015 incident wherein another pigeon was detained on suspicion of spying.

A 14-year-old boy in Manwal, near the India-Pakistan border, noticed that there was a stamped message on its feathers written in Urdu.

Indian police conducted an X-ray on the bird, and found that it had the seal of Pakistani district and police.

At that time, nothing adverse had been found, but the Indian police still kept the pigeon in their custody.

Pigeons were also used as spies during World War One.

Pigeons used for spying in earliest days of espionage

According to spymuseum.org, pigeons have been a spy’s best friend since the earliest days of espionage.

During World War I, these birds were outfitted with tiny cameras and released over enemy territory.

As the birds flew, the cameras clicked away to snap photos.

There was also a pigeon, whose name was “Willian of Orange”.

This male war pigeon served the British military intelligence.

In 1945, William of Orange was awarded the 21st Dickin medal for delivering a message from the Arnhem Airborne Operation, which saved more than 2,000 British soldiers.

 

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