Smuggling has been a centuries-old crime. It is the illegal process of getting objects from one place to another in violation of the each country's laws. It may involve drug trade, illegal immigration or in this case, transport of animals.
It was reported in People that a 27-year-old Canadian National smuggled 51 turtles from Michigan, United States.
Kai Xu has pleaded guilty to the crime in attempting to smuggle 1,000 turtles from Michigan. He was planning to transport them to either China or Ontario. Because of this action, he now faces a maximum penalty of ten years behind bars.
As it may already be known to all, it is illegal to transport wildlife from the U.S. without obtaining the government's authorization to proceed.
Xu's system in acquiring the turtles involves ordering the animals online. He would travel to the U.S. to pick them up and then return to Canada. China is the other location where he supposedly ships the turtles.
Based on a report from the Associated Press, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Woodward said that Xu, "regularly deals in turtle shipments worth $30,000, $80,000 or $125,000."
She also added, "In China, the turtles he smuggles are worth two to three times the amount he pays here."
In August, Xu got caught with 41 live turtles strapped to his body, as well as another 10 hidden in his you-know-what. This is according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife. They were not able to specify how the man accomplished this feat.
A shipping company located in Detroit gave a tip to the Fish and Wildlife authorities. In turn, they warned Canada's Border Services Agency.
The authorities in Canada took hold of the turtles. They found a lot of North American types like eastern box turtles, red-eared sliders and diamondback terrapins. They returned these to American officials.
