Wei Qiang Lin, a Chinese national, pleaded guilty to smuggling about 850 protected eastern and three-toed box turtles from the US to Hong Kong between 2023 and 2024. The turtles, valued at $1.4m, were wrapped in socks and mislabeled as “plastic animal toys.”
According to BBC, both species are protected under international law and require export permits. Lin also smuggled other reptiles and faces up to five years in prison, with sentencing set for December 23.
This follows a similar 2024 case where another smuggler was sentenced for trafficking over 2,000 turtles.
