A Canadian man was stopped at the Detroit border as he allegedly attempted to smuggle 51 live turtles across the border.
Kai Xu tried to smuggle the animals into Canada from the USA by taping the turtles to his legs and groin.
His was caught in transit by the Canada Border Services Agency and by agents from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“During the secondary inspection, Xu was found to have 51 live turtles tapped (sic) to his person,” said Kenneth Adams, a special agent with the service.
“Specifically, Xu had 41 turtles taped to his legs, and 10 hidden between his legs.”
Canadian authorities seized the turtles which included North American varieties including eastern box turtles and red-eared sliders and diamond back terrapins.
Xu (26) and another man, Lihua Lin, were accused of trying to bring the turtles into Canada where they could fetch $1,300 to $1,500 per turtle on the collector markets.
Lihua Lin (30) had tried to fly out of Detroit on the previous Tuesday with two checked bags full of over 200 live turtles.
Meanwhile, Xu was stopped as he was driving from Detroit to Ontario.
The pair have been arrested and charged. They appeared in Federal Court in Detroit charged with smuggling, illegal trading and exporting.
If convicted, they could face up to 10 years in prison.
Cover pic: AP/Carolyn Kaster
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