1,500 live turtles found wrapped in duct tape at Manila airport

Four suitcases abandoned in arrivals area contain rare and protected varieties of tortoises

Hannah Ellis-Petersen South-east Asia correspondent

Mon 4 Mar 2019 08.52 GMTLast modified on Tue 5 Mar 2019 00.40 GMT

Police in the Philippines have discovered 1,529 live turtles wrapped in duct tape inside suitcases abandoned in an airport.

The customs bureau seized four suitcases in Manila on Sunday and found they were filled with rare and protected varieties including star tortoises, red-footed tortoises, sulcata tortoises and red-eared sliders.

Officers said the cases had been brought on a flight from Hong Kong by a passenger from the Philippines and left unclaimed in the arrivals area of Manila’s Ninoy Aquino international airport.

The reptiles were valued at up to 4.5m pesos (£60,000). There is a high demand for turtles as exotic pets, and they are valued for their meat and for use in traditional medicine in some Asian countries.

The Philippines has strict laws against animal smuggling and, if found, the carrier could face up to two years in jail and a fine of 200,000 pesos.

Wildlife smuggling is a problem throughout south-east Asia. The Philippine customs bureau seized 560 types of wildlife and endangered animals in 2018, including 250 geckos, 254 pieces of coral, and multiple species of reptile, and in 2019 it has already discovered 63 iguanas, chameleons and bearded dragons in parcels, airline baggage and international shipments.

The turtles have been transferred to a monitoring unit for safekeeping.

Read on

Mexico seizes mezcal bottles with snakes, reptiles inside – via Herp Digest

MEXICO CITY - AP-3/13/18— Forget the worm at the bottom of your bottle of mescal. Mexican environmental inspectors have found whole boas and iguanas stuffed into bottles of mezcal at a market in the southern state of Oaxaca.

The wide-mouth bottles were filled with “artisanal, wild agave” mezcal that was apparently meant to be drunk, albeit probably on a bet.

The federal office for environmental protection said Tuesday it seized 15 bottles with species including a blood snake, ridge head snake, yellowbelly snake and a whip snake.

For decades, college students have been downing the maguey worm found at the bottom of some bottles of mescal. The worms were originally added either for taste or to prove the drink’s authenticity.

The sale of wildlife — even pickled — is strictly regulated in Mexico.

DRI busts animal smuggling racket, rescues 1,000 turtles (Editor- note the 852 red-eared sliders confiscated because its an exotic turtle so falls under endangered species act’s protection) – via Herp Digest

The gang procures turtles from forest areas in Telengana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka through its agents. DH File Photo (Example of species confiscated, not actual animals)

DH News Service, Bengaluru, Oct 10 2017, 2:39 IST

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has claimed to have busted an animal smuggling racket and rescued 1,012 exotic turtles and tortoises, whose notional value was put at Rs 4 crore in the international market.

The DRI sleuths arrested one person and are searching for his associate in Chennai. The sleuths refused to divulge details of the arrested.

“He had tightly packed animals in seven travel bags and had kept the bags in two car bound for Chennai from Bengaluru,’’ said a senior officer. On definite leads, DRI staff intercepted the car at Attibelle toll gate and arrested the man.

There were 76 Tricarinate hill turtles, 852 red eared sliders, 11 Indian star tortoises and 46 female melanochelys tricarinate turtles and 27 Indian tent turtles, the official stated.

Exotic turtles and tortoises fall under endangered species category and their illegal capture and transport attract a minimum prison term of seven years under Customs Act and Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

The suspect told DRI sleuths that he operated through his associates in Bengaluru since 2016. They would procure animals captured from forest areas in Telengana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, through their agnets. Later, they would transport animals to Chennai by road. They would send them by cargo flight to China.

Turtles will be treated at veterinary care centre for a few days and later released into the wild or rehabilitated in any government animal centre, the official added.

Man arrested for smuggling king cobras to the US in crisp canisters

California man faces up to 20 years in prison after the three live snakes were illegally shipped from Hong Kong

Associated Press

Wednesday 26 July 2017 09.39 BSTLast modified on Wednesday 26 July 2017 09.57 BST

A man has been arrested on federal smuggling charges after customs officers intercepted a shipment with three live king cobras hidden inside potato chip canisters that were being mailed to his California home, US prosecutors said.

Rodrigo Franco, 34, was scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday afternoon in Los Angeles on a charge of illegally importing merchandise. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney who could comment on the allegations.

Continued  

15 endangered turtles found smuggled in shoes: Taiwan Customs – via Herp Digest

The turtles were turned over to a wildlife center in northern Taiwan

By Matthew Lubin,Taiwan News, Staff Writer 3/13/17

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- The Forestry Bureau said on March 13 that the Customs Administration confiscated 15 endangered turtles on flight FX5142 from Malaysia being smuggled inside sports shoes in parcels.

All of the turtles were alive when discovered by customs when the parcels were checked, and the Forestry Bureau has sent them to a wildlife center in northern Taiwan. The wildlife center works with academic institutions and the Taipei Zoo to ensure proper care of its animals.

The wildlife center has options for the endangered turtles, including returning them to their native habitats. No specific plan has been made at this time.

The Forestry Bureau plans to prosecute the smugglers. Relevant laws indicate offenders are subject to six months to five years in prison and a fine of NT$300,000 (US$9,700) to NT$1.5 million.

Among the turtles confiscated were one angonoka tortoise (Astrochelys yniphora) and 14 painted terrapins, or saw-jawed turtle (Batagur borneoensis). The angonoka tortoise is native to Madagascar and is one of the rarest land tortoises in the world with an estimated wild population of just 600. The painted terrapin is native to rainforests of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand and is a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II critically endangered species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Cousins Caught Smuggling Rare Turtles, Tortoise-Claiming to Work for the Dubai Police (Indian Star Tortoise and the Black Pond Turtle) – via Herp Digest

By Aditya Anand, Mumbai Mirror | Oct 15, 2016, 01.55 AM IST

 

Two cousins claiming to be working for the Dubai police force have been caught by the Mumbai Airport customs for attempting to smuggle out 199 tortoises of two species - the Indian Star Tortoise and the Black Pond Turtle – at the departure terminal on the night between Thursday and Friday.

Marwan Ali Hassan and Sultan Ibrahim Ali Alfaqi were found carrying two Black Pond turtles and 197 Indian Star tortoises in four trolley bags. They were set to board a Fly Dubai flight. In a voluntary statement to the customs, the two said that they had purchased the reptiles from Crawford Market after being offered a discounted price for several. Hassan claimed to be running an animal farm in Dubai. Given that the number of reptiles constitutes a commercial quantity, the customs officials did not buy the animal farm claim.

Their claims of being attached to the Dubai police force are also yet to be confirmed since the duo could not support the claim with any documentary proof. Officials of the United Arab Emirates Consulate also visited the airport.

Pradnyasheel Jumle, deputy commissioner of customs Air Intelligence Unit, told Mumbai Mirror that Hassan and Alfaqi were visiting India on a tourist visa. “Since the seized turtles fell under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, (offences under this schedule are awarded the highest penalty) the duo were handed over to the office of the Assistant Wildlife Wardens, Thane for further action,” Jumle said.

Range Forest Officer, S S Kank revealed that the two men were in their custody. “The two will be produced before a court on Saturday. We have also recovered the 199 reptiles,” Kank said.

Customs officials disclosed that they would continue with their investigation under The Customs Act, 1962, for attempted smuggling through an airport.

500 star turtles seized at Chennai airport – via Herp Digest

By M Sathish | Express News Service 
July 29, 2016

CHENNAI: In a major seizure, the customs and wildlife crime control bureau on Thursday night seized 500 star turtles at the Chennai airport that was being smuggled to Malaysia in a Thai Airways flight.  The cute little star turtles, known for its beautiful ornate design on the shell, is one of the most common targets for smugglers due to its high demand as a pet and medical purposes across the world. 

The Thai Airways officials grew suspicious when they found something suspicious moving inside the thermocol boxes that were to be uploaded as cargo in the flight.  They alerted the customs, who opened the boxes and found nearly 500 star turtles bundled in cloth bags. The wildlife crime control bureau officials also confirmed that they are star tortoise, whose export is banned.  In each of the cloth bag, about ten tortoise were bundled and they were placed inside the thermocol boxes.

The exporter, identified as Cosmic Exports with office at Ambattur in Chennai, had declared that the consignment contains crab.  The export company's owner has been identified as one Rajavelan and further investigations are on if the company was involved in the smuggling or some other middlemen were involved.  An airport source said the under the Risk Management System, a few of the parcels meant for export would go unchecked and this is how the consignment containing the start turtles had made its way up to the air craft. 

The value of the 500 turtles is estimated to be around Rs 50 lakh in international market.  According to sections 9, 38 and 48A of Wildlife Protection Act 1972 the export of the star turtle is illegal.  Sources in the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau said nearly 10 such seizures of star turtle being exported to other countries are seized in south India.  The officials are now facing a challenge on where to preserve the star turtle as the Vandalur zoo or the forest department does not have facility for it.  

Smuggler caught with 51 turtles in his pants sent up the river - via Herp Digest

April 13, 2016, Treehugger.com Melissa Breyer 

The 27-year-old Canadian college student was caught shipping 1000s of turtles smuggled from Michigan to China; sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison.

Some people pay for college by crafting lattes, others by waiting on tables or working at bookstores. But Kai Xu found a novel way to help pay for his education – turtle smuggling. And now the Canadian has been sentenced to just under five years in prison for his “shell game.”

According to Global News, Xu regularly visited Michigan to buy and ship thousands of turtles to China – his crime was discovered when he was caught at the Canadian border with dozens of the creatures strapped to his legs. While it is legal to buy turtles in the U.S., it is illegal to ship wildlife overseas without a federal permit. Apparently Xu shipped the turtles from both the States and Canada, or paid mules to fly East with the turtles in their luggage. The turtles included North American varieties such as eastern box turtles, red-eared sliders and diamondback terrapins — some of which sell for $800 each.

In China, the turtles make desirable pets.

While Xu expressed remorse, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Woodward described his smuggling scheme as one of the largest in recent years. Her request was for five years in prison – which is near the lower end of the sentencing spectrum. U.S. District Judge John Corbett O’Meara could have settled for even less, but went with a sentence of 57 months.

In a letter to O’Meara, Xu wrote that he sold the turtles to make money for college and that he was a semester shy of an engineering degree. His defense attorney said that Xu was not a “sophisticated international dealer.” Yet prosecutors argued that the turtle trading was worth more than $1 million.

An appeal is in the works, with Xu’s attorney saying that the sentence is severe. But hello, illegal wildlife trade? What may seem like a silly incidence of turtles in the pants is actually a very serious issue. As noted on the Fish & Wildlife Service site, thousands of wildlife species are threatened by illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade – it’s often unsustainable, harms populations of animals and plants and pushes endangered species toward extinction. And honestly, it's just mean. Hopefully a few turtles can breathe a little easier now ... pants and suitcases are stifling.

Custom officials seize 146 tortoises at Mumbai Airport – via Herp Digest

ANI

Updated Mar 20, 2016, 7:11 pm IST

The bag was said to belong to a transit passenger, who arrived from Madagascar and flew to Kathmandu leaving this bag behind.

 Two radiated tortoises were found dead with broken shell . (Photo: Twitter)

Mumbai: The Custom officials on Sunday seized 146 tortoises from a mishandled baggage of a Nepal citizen at the Mumbai airport.

The incident happened when the Jet Airways staff brought one left behind baggage to officers of Air Intelligence Unit (AIU), saying that some suspicious images (shell like) had been noticed by GVK Security.

The bag was said to belong to a transit passenger, who arrived from Madagascar and flew to Kathmandu leaving this bag behind. Officers of Air Intelligence Unit examined the bag and recovered and seized 146 tortoises.

Out of the 146 tortoises, 139 were Radiated tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) and seven were Angonoka tortoises (Astrochelys yniphora), both critically endangered tortoise species of Madagascar.

Two radiated tortoises were found dead with broken shell.

Since these were exotic species and cannot be introduced into India and because of quarantine reasons, as informed by wild life authorities, the airlines have been instructed to re-export the same to Madagascar under intimation to wildlife authorities there.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/200316/custom-officials-seize-146-tortoises-at-mumbai-airport.html