A New York man who tried to send hundreds oflive turtlesfalsely labeled as plastic animal toys to Hong Kong has been sentenced to two years in federal prison.
Wei Qiang Lin, a 55-year-old Chinese national living in Brooklyn, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Buffalo on Dec. 23, following hisguilty plea in August. He was also fined $2,339 – the amount of U.S. currency he was pocketing when he was arrested,federal authorities said.
While it wasn't your classic shell game, Lin's operation was upended after customs inspectors intercepted more than 200 parcels destined for Hong Kong between August 2023 and November 2024. Inside the shipping boxes were about 850 turtles worth about $1.4 million, bound and taped within socks that were tied in knots.
The creatures were primarily eastern box turtles and three-toed box turtles, colorfully marked species native to the U.S. and highly prized among exotic pet traders in China − Hong Kong especially, the Justice Department said.
"Turtle and reptile enthusiasts collect North American species of box turtles due to their handsome appearance and the wide variety of unique color variations," wrote Ryan Bessey, a special agent for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, inan affidavitsupporting the federal complaint. "In fact, no two box turtles have the same markings."
Turtles 'being collected to extinction'
Federal investigators also intercepted shipments containing rare Cora mud turtles – a recently discovered species endemic to Western Mexico.
The latter have been increasingly targeted by the black market pet trade, according to the Buffalo Zoo, which took in the seized Cora mud turtles and set up an "assurance colony" to help repopulate the species should its wild population become unsustainable.
"It is sadly a case of a newly described species being collected to extinction,"the zoo said.
Other shipments sent by Lin included alligator lizards, venomous green tree vipers and palm pit vipers, all protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Lin was investigated and charged as part of Operation Terrapene, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service project to uncover turtle smugglers and dismantle syndicates. The operation was conducted in cooperation with other agencies including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Postal Inspections Service and Homeland Security Investigations.
Lin faced a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from his illegal activity.As part of his plea, Lin also agreed to abandon any property interest in the reptiles seized during the investigation.
World's 4th-largest illegal trade
Illicit wildlife trafficking is the world's largest illegal trade after narcotics, human trafficking and counterfeit goods, according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcementreport. It includes everything fromspider monkeysandsea cucumberstowhite rhinoceros hornanddried hummingbird carcasses.
In an unrelated case earlier this year, 54-year-old Sai Keung "Ricky" Tin received a 30-month prison sentence for smugglingmore than 2,000 turtlesfrom the U.S. to Hong Kong, including 40 eastern box turtles falsely labeled as almonds and chocolate cookies.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:New Yorker who tried to export 850 turtles to Hong Kong gets prison