Friday, August 10, 2007

Pigeon Drop

Thanks to John Stickney for the link.

Kidnappers use pigeons to collect ransoms - Telegraph: "Kidnappers attempting to evade capture in Iraq have hit on a new, risk-free method of collecting ransom payments: the homing pigeon.

Iraqi police say they have recorded repeated instances of kidnappers leaving homing pigeons on the doorsteps of their victim's homes, with instructions for the families to attach cash to the birds' legs. The pigeons then deliver the ransom to the gangs' hideouts.

Pigeon-keeping is a popular hobby in Iraq, and enthusiasts there say that some of the stronger birds can carry weights of up to 2-1/2 ounces on each leg.

One family attached $10,000 in $100 notes to the legs of five homing pigeons, which they found in a cage left on their doorstep."

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