On October 19, 2000, at 10:40 pm, the defendant Zhang Yi (a united Arab emirates passport holder) was contacted by Customs and Border Protection officers in the passenger inspection area of Beijing Capital International Airport. The inspectors asked him to open his bag, but the defendant refused to cooperate initially. Then the bag was searched , and 8 saker falcons were found inside (4 died). The Saker Falcon is a strictly protected species in China, which is not allowed to be exported without the necessary licence.