<figure id="attachment_3132176" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3132176" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3132176" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/65556950-afp__20250811__69b76nq__v1__highres__chinesemanpleadsguiltyinustosmugglingprotectedt.webp" alt="" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3132176" class="wp-caption-text">The live turtles had been wrapped in socks for the weeks-long journey and the boxes were labeled as containing &#8216;plastic animal toys&#8217;. (USFWS/AFP pic)</figcaption></figure>
NEW YORK: A Chinese man faces up to five years in prison for trying to smuggle protected turtles worth more than US$1 million from the US to Hong Kong.
Wei Qiang Lin, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty on Monday in a federal district court in New York to exporting more than 220 parcels containing around 850 eastern box turtles and three-toed box turtles.
The justice department said the live turtles had been wrapped in socks for the weeks-long journey and the boxes with the reptiles had been labeled as containing &#8220;plastic animal toys&#8221;.
The turtles, which had a market value of US$1.4 million, were intercepted by law enforcement at a border inspection, it said.
Eastern box turtles and three-toed box turtles feature colorful markings and are a &#8220;prized feature in the domestic and foreign pet market, particularly in China and Hong Kong&#8221;, the justice department said in a statement.
It said they are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Sentencing was set for Dec 23. Lin faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to US$250,000.

MatchPoint Times

Chinese man pleads guilty in US to smuggling protected turtles

The man exported more than 220 parcels containing hundreds of turtles worth more than US$1 million.

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