Recently, Huanggang Customs House affiliated to Shenzhen Customs District cracked an endangered animals smuggling case, in which 165 live turtles and 71 live poisonous scorpions concealed in a container were seized. According to the Customs, these animals were carried into China by a container truck driver hired by a pet shop at the price of 900 yuan.

All the turtles, including 42 radiated tortoises, 23 three-keel leatherbacks, 15 Black-Pond turtles, 75 Indian Star tortoises, 9 big-head Malay terrapins, and 1 Keeled Box turtle, were protected species. Among them, radiated tortoises, three-keel leatherbacks and black-pond turtles are listed in the Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the others listed in the Appendix 2. The live scorpions were still under further identification.

The endangered turtles seized by Huanggang Customs