A man has been charged for smuggling protected turtles inside his socks.
A man was arrested for smuggling rare turtles inside his socks
Sai Keung Tin, from Hong Kong, was indicted last week by prosecutors in California on four counts of exporting merchandise contrary to law.
The 53-year-old man attempted to muffle the cries of the 40 eastern box turtles by keeping them inside pairs of socks, the US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said.
Tin had stored the turtles – which can live for up to 100 years – in a package to be sent from the US to China as part of the "global pet trade black market" last June.
Wildlife inspectors intercepted four packages at a mail facility in the coastal city of Torrance. The boxes had been due to be shipped to the suspect's Hong Kong residence before being taken to the mainland by smugglers.
The Attorney's Office said: "Three of the packages contained between eight and 12 live eastern box turtles each – all bound in socks, according to court papers.
"The fourth package contained seven live eastern box turtles and one deceased eastern box turtle."