Bird innocent

Suspected spy pigeon released after 8 months of “detention”

The pigeon was cleared of charges of espionage and was released with the permission of the police.(Bild: AP)

In May 2023, a pigeon suspected of having been trained by China for espionage purposes was captured near an Indian port. After eight months, the animal has now been released from its "detention": The pigeon was said to be innocent.

The bird was held captive for eight months in the Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit animal hospital in Mumbai: The rings on its legs had caught the attention of investigators. These were inscribed with characters that resembled Chinese letters. The pigeon was then taken into custody for examination. 

The investigation revealed that the animal was not a spy from China. Rather, it was a racing bird that had escaped from Taiwan and fled to India. The pigeon was cleared of suspicion of espionage and released by vets on Tuesday. 

"Dangerous" pigeons are not uncommon in India
It would not have been the first spy pigeon to be caught in India: Back in 2020, Indian officials noticed a pink pigeon that was said to have been acting as a winged agent. It had belonged to a Pakistani fisherman. Another pigeon was captured in 2016. It was carrying a note threatening Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.