Odisha: Suspected 'spy' pigeon with devices fitted on leg caught in Jagatsinghpur

It also seems like something has been scribbled on the wings of the bird in a language unknown to the local police.

A pigeon fitted with devices, which appear to be a camera and a microchip, was caught from a fishing boat off the Paradip coast of Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district, with the police suspecting that the bird was being used for spying. According to reports, there was also a text written in an unknown language on the wings of the bird. The police are suspecting that the bird was being used for spying.

Some fishermen found the pigeon perched on their trawler a few days ago. The bird was captured and handed over to the marine police on Wednesday.

"We will produce the pigeon with all the material before a cyber expert to find out the truth," Paradip ASP, Nimai Charan Sethi told news agency ANI.

''Our veterinarians will examine the bird. We will seek help of the State Forensic Science Laboratory for examining the devices attached to its legs. It appears that the devices are a camera and a microchip,'' Jagatsinghpur Superintendent of Police Rahul PR told PTI. It also seems like something has been scribbled on the wings of the bird in a language unknown to the local police. ''Experts' help will also be sought to find out what is written,'' the SP said.

Pitambar Behera, an employee of the fishing trawler 'Sarathi', said he saw the pigeon perched on the boat. ''Suddenly I noticed that some instruments were attached to the bird's legs. I also found that something is written on its wings. I could not understand it as it was not in Odia,'' Behera said.

He caught the bird as it came closer. The pigeon was found on the trawler when it was anchored around 35 kilometres off the coast of Konark around 10 days back. Behera said he fed the bird broken rice for the past several days.

Earlier in 2020, Jammu and Kashmir Police set free a pigeon, which was caught on the suspicion of being a Pakistani "spy bird", saying there was "nothing suspicious" about it. The pigeon was caught from Manyari area along the international border in Kathua with a ring in one of its legs.

This is not the first time a pigeon flying from Pakistan has landed in trouble with Indian officials.

In May 2015, a white pigeon was arrested after it was spotted by a 14-year-old boy in a village close to the border.

What is a 'spy' pigeon?

A spy pigeon is a bird that has been trained or used for espionage purposes. Pigeons have been used for various forms of communication and espionage throughout history, particularly during wars and conflicts.

During World War I and II, both sides used pigeons to carry messages between military units and intelligence agencies. Pigeons were also used for espionage purposes, with some being trained to fly back to their home location with messages or small cameras attached to them.

In the Cold War era, the CIA experimented with training pigeons to take covert photographs of sensitive sites in the Soviet Union. However, the project was eventually abandoned as it was deemed unreliable and expensive.

While the use of pigeons in espionage has largely become obsolete due to advancements in technology, there have been occasional reports of trained pigeons being used for smuggling drugs or other illicit materials across borders.