Two Men Accused of Smuggling 7,000 Turtles

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Associated Press

Associated Press

HONG KONG -- Hong Kong police have arrested two men accused of trying to smuggle more than 7,000 live pet turtles to mainland China, the government said Friday.

Marine police intercepted the two men Wednesday as they were loading about 300 cartons onto speedboats, a government statement said. The cartons were filled with clear plastic containers containing the tiny dark green turtles, each smaller than a human palm, a photograph published in the Ming Pao Daily News showed.

The turtles were seized along with counterfeit computer video discs. Together the turtles and discs were worth a total of $820,000, the statement said.

Most of the animals were snapping turtles, a species found in Canada and South America. Razorback musk turtles, native to the U.S., were also found. None of the smuggled species were endangered, agricultural department spokesman Donald Lam said.

Read more: http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/22536

---

RELATED ARTICLES

* Mexico Seizes Thousands Of Smuggled Turtle Eggs
* Thirty-Four Endangered Turtles Returned to Vietnam
* Myanmar Issues Regulations to Save Decimated Marine Turtle Population
* Chinese Fish Farms, Deemed Safe Suppliers to Hong Kong, are Dried-Out or Don't Exist

[Demeter]

1. Snapping Turtles? For Food, or Pets?

Or guard duty, perhaps?

Bizarre.

[Donnachaidh]

3. the article made it seem like they were for the pet trade

But snappers -- geez! They can be NASTY little critters. I love turtles, and have two boxies, but snappers won't exactly make the best pets. In fact, You'd have kids missing bits of fingers real fast.

Honestly, they were probably going to wind up in a soup pot somewhere.

[yellowcanine]

8. Yep - turtle stew is the likely destination. No one keeps snapping turtles as pets.

Of course I can't imagine eating musk turtle either. They are nasty.

[0rganism]

7. or Sen. Cornyn's secret sex slaves?

"Click here for more Hot Man-On-Turtle Action!"

[shenmue]

2. I love turtles

I hate it when people try to mess with them. :grr:

[AngryAmish]

4. Save me from the wee turtles!!

[alphafemale]

5. Snapping turtles as pets...

Lead paint on baby bibs...

Antifreeze in toothpaste.

It's getting very difficult to remain non-biased here.

I keep thinking of Charlie Brown, Lucy and that damned footall.

[Beetwasher]

6. It's Turtles All The Way Down

n/t

[stressfulreality]

9. turtles rule!!

they do...