Driver arrested after over 200 live turtles found stuffed in car trunk at border

A 52-year-old driver has been arrested after Customs officers uncovered a massive haul of live turtles stuffed inside the trunk of his car at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point.

The discovery was made on July 14 when officers intercepted an outbound private car based on a risk assessment. During a search of the vehicle, officers found 216 live turtles and two turtle eggs concealed inside the trunk of the car.

The seized animals have an estimated market value of about HK$21,800.

The local male driver was arrested on suspicion of smuggling and has been released on bail pending further investigation. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, smuggling is a serious offense. 

Any individual convicted of exporting unmanifested cargo faces a maximum penalty of a HK$2 million fine and up to seven years' imprisonment.

Customs authorities reiterated their commitment to combating cross-boundary smuggling activities through rigorous risk assessment and intelligence analysis.

Members of the public are urged to report suspected smuggling activities by calling the Customs 24-hour hotline at 182-8080, emailing crimereport@customs.gov.hk, or completing an online form.

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