They were wrapped in plastic film, piled on top of each other in a suitcase. We are talking about 95 turtles illegally transported by a Taiwanese couple who were arrested.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himThey were wrapped in plastic film, piled on top of each other in a suitcase. Let's talk about 95 turtles illegally transported by a Taiwanese couple who were arrested.
Il illegal wildlife trade moves money a lot that of weapons and drugs. A thriving and ever-growing market that has as its victims exotic animals that are moved from one country to another in cruel conditions. Animals that then end up in the hands of collectors or become ingredients to prepare foods or ointments of traditional Chinese medicine, which let us remember, has no scientific confirmation. According to United Nations data, this illegal criminal market yields about 20 million euros per year.
Evidence of this illegal trade is the seizure of 95 turtles of a species classified as 'vulnerable' by the IUCN in Don Muang in Bangkok (Thailand) which cost the arrest of a Taiwanese couple and accused of illegal animal trafficking. The animals, specimens of Indian Star Turtle (Geochelone elegans) had been hidden inside suitcases and wrapped in plastic. Fortunately, it was an X-ray scan of the passenger terminal that stopped them, and now the two face jail time and a hefty fine.
Turtles, characterized by their shell in which a star appears, are very popular as pets, but in Southeast Asia they also become ingredients for soups. In traditional medicine, certain parts of their body becoming ointments would bring prosperity and longevity. Although stricter penalties have been introduced in recent years, the illegal trade in wild animals seems like a timeless market.
Read also:
- Illegal ivory trafficking: Singapore's largest elephant tusks seizure in history
- Abusive breeding of pythons at home: 119 illegally detained snakes seized
