The Pigeon Mafia: How high-priced pigeons became an organized crime target | 60 Minutes
In a Nutshell
Elite racing pigeons in Belgium, worth millions due to international competitions like One Loft Racing and massive demand from Chinese buyers (e.g., a $1.8M record sale), have become targets of the "pigeon mafia"—organized theft rings smuggling birds for black-market breeding. In 2024, champion breeder Tom Van Gaver lost his legendary pigeon Finn and others in one of 35 Belgian robberies, leading to a police raid that recovered 87 stolen birds via DNA testing from a database of 70,000 pigeons, convicting eight including a Romanian mastermind. Security upgrades like cameras, lasers, and genetic profiling now deter thieves, but Finn remains missing.
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60 Minutes reports on foul play involving elite racing pigeons (Columba livia domestica). These birds compete in international events, released far from home to find their way back. As prizes rise into the millions, they become targets for the pigeon mafia.
The Flemish region of Belgium, known for medieval towers and fine chocolate, is home to some of the most sought-after birds on Earth. Belgium is to racing pigeons what Kentucky is to thoroughbred horses.
Tom Van Gaver breeds, sells, and races pigeons. He identifies elite athletes by their calculating gaze. What makes a pigeon a great racer: everything a good racer needs, but body must be strong enough to follow the head's desire to go home.
Van Gaver's pigeons in his loft are worth around $10 million for 300 birds. They fly hundreds of miles at highway speeds, fathered Ferraris worth a fortune.
Finn was Van Gaver's greatest pigeon, the Secretariat of the sky. Known by his color, excellent racer and breeder. Fanciers traveled across oceans for photos with him. Not for sale, but priceless stud; offspring sold for up to $100,000.
In 2024, surveillance video shows Finn snatched from his favorite spot by an intruder, along with six other pigeons. "It's like the Mona Lisa from the pigeon sport they stole... because it's famous. Maybe it's old and it's not for sale, but everybody want to see it."
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