Hong Kong Officials Seize 10,000 Turtles
Posted on: Thursday, 10 July 2003, 06:00 CDT
Hong Kong customs agents have seized more than 10,000 endangered turtles and tortoises en route from Malaysia and probably destined for dining tables in China.
The Malayan box turtles and true tortoises were found Wednesday in a China-bound container said to be holding watermelons, the Customs and Excise Department said. Only four tortoises were alive.
The animals, valued at $174,000, would likely have ended up in soup pots or possibly made into "turtle jelly," a gooey black substance eaten by many southern Chinese who believe it has detoxifying properties and can improve complexions.
Endangered species bound for China often pass through Hong Kong. People smuggling endangered species into Hong Kong can be jailed for two years and fined up to $640,000.
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