This is the moment a driver is caught with five live pigeons hidden in his socks by customs officers as he tried to smuggle them across the border.

The birds were discovered during a customs inspection in the cab of a freight vehicle at Ubylinka checkpoint on Russia's border with Latvia.

Footage shows the pigeons packed tightly in a small suitcase, each wrapped in a sock among the driver's personal belongings.

Officers reported on December 4 that the driver had placed the birds in this way to transport them.

Two administrative cases were opened against the man for failing to declare the pigeons, and he was also issued a fine.

Due to the lack of accompanying documents, the pigeons were left in Russia. It remains unclear if the man intended to sell them, possibly for racing competitions.

In May, police teams across several European countries uncovered an international network trafficking racing pigeons, arresting three people in Belgium and Romania. The group had been targeting prize-winning pigeons, which can be worth several million euros.