A Hong Kong woman was caught trying to smuggle 29 protected turtles from the United States to Canada.
Wan Yee Ng, 41, pleaded guilty Friday in US District Court in Burlington, Vermont to one count of attempting to smuggle eastern tortoises from Vermont into Canada.
Eastern tortoises are a protected species in Vermont as well as in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan and New Hampshire.
According to the affidavit, Ng was arrested on June 28 at an Airbnb in Canaan, Vermont.
HUGE RACOONS TAKE OVER WOMAN’S YARD IN WASHINGTON STATE
An endangered male Eastern Box Turtle named “Tank” lives at the Franklin Park Zoo. (John Wilcox/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)
Police say the 41-year-old man was caught in the act while loading his kayak for a trip to the Canadian side of Lake Wallace.
The police said they were informed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that two other people, including Ng’s husband, allegedly started rowing an inflatable watercraft from the Canadian side of the lake towards the US.
Authorities say he had 29 eastern box turtles inside a duffle bag wrapped in socks, the affidavit said.
Box Turtle, Fairfax, Virginia. (Robert Knopes/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Oriental tortoises are known to be sold on the Chinese black market for $1,000 each, the affidavit states.
AUTUMN IN NEW ENGLAND: 6 STATES PACK BIG COLOR, BIG HISTORY, IN A SMALL AREA
During the investigation, the police seized his cell phone and showed that he had tried to smuggle the turtles into Canada to eventually be sold for profit in Hong Kong.
Robert Knopes/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images (Robert Knopes/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Ng pleaded guilty Friday to a charge of illegally attempting to export 29 eastern sea turtles out of the United States, in violation of the law.
CLICK HERE FOR THE NEWS PROGRAM
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source link
