Pigeon Detained for 8 Months Accused of Being a Chinese Spy Released After Confirmed as 'Taiwan Racing' Bird

Paper in Chinese attached to leg at discovery
Investigation reveals 'racing bird' from Taiwan, not China

Indian police reportedly detained a pigeon for eight months before releasing it. The police said they had been investigating the pigeon on suspicion of being a "Chinese spy."

Foreign media reported that Indian police recently released a pigeon they had detained on suspicion of being a Chinese spy back into the wild. Initially, the Indian police suspected that the pigeon might have been sent to India from China for espionage purposes. A professional veterinarian was also involved in the process of "investigating" the pigeon.

The pigeon was found near the Mumbai port in India in May of last year. At the time, the pigeon had small rings on both legs, each attached to a piece of paper with Chinese characters written on them. Because of this, Indian police suspected that the pigeon might have been used by spies to exchange information.

However, after investigation, it was revealed that the bird was a "racing pigeon" that had originated not from mainland China but from Taiwan. Pigeon racing is known to be a popular sport in the Chinese-speaking world. Ultimately, after eight months of interrogation, Indian authorities transferred the pigeon to an animal protection organization and released it back into the wild.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time a bird has been captured in India on suspicion of being a "Chinese spy." In 2020, a bird equipped with sensors was captured in Kashmir, a disputed area near the India-China border. However, it was later revealed that the bird was not used for surveillance purposes. In 2016, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received assassination threats, a pigeon was also captured and detained.