The intervention occurred during a security checkpoint established at dawn at one of the city's access points. Officers detected a vehicle whose occupants made evasive maneuvers upon noticing the police presence, leading to its interception.

Inside the car, officers located up to twelve large cages filled with wild birds, specifically goldfinches, as well as others in the trunk. Many of them were in overcrowded conditions, without adequate space or ventilation.

A subsequent count confirmed the presence of around 400 specimens, of which at least 39 had already died during transport due to the conditions in which they were traveling. The detainees admitted that the birds had been captured days earlier in the Murcian town of Lorca and were destined for France, where they were to be sold illegally.

Officers confirmed that the birds had been recently captured during a particularly sensitive breeding period, which exacerbates the impact on the species. Furthermore, they found that the birds were being fed with seeds commonly used to attract birds in poaching practices, indicating illegal capture methods.

After the intervention, the goldfinches were initially transferred to the Orihuela Animal Protection Center and subsequently to the Santa Faz Bird Recovery Center in Alicante, where they will be cared for. The detainees, one of whom had 1,765 euros in cash seized, have been brought before the courts and face charges related to crimes against flora and fauna.