185 Sea Turtles Wrapped in Plastic Seized in Smuggling Bust

According to UNILAD, 185 sea turtles were seized from smugglers after they were discovered by a customs officer in Ecuador. The baby turtles were wrapped in plastic and placed inside a suitcase from the Galápagos Islands.

Officials assume that smugglers wrapped the sea turtles in plastic to avoid detection. Unfortunately, ten of the turtles died in the incident. Smugglers were hoping to fetch a high price, baby turtles can sell for more than than $5,000 (£3,600) each, BBC News reports.

Ecuador’s environment minister, Marcelo Mata, said, “The Ministry of Environment and Water is collaborating in the investigations of the Prosecutor’s Office, since this fact is an environmental crime that is dealt with by the Jurisdictional power. Absolutely all the procedures required by the tax authority will be carried out.”

Mata added, “I categorically reject these crimes against wildlife and the natural heritage of Ecuadorians.” People found guilty of wildlife crimes related to smuggling from the Galápagos islands could face prison sentences of three years.

The airport said in their Facebook post, “It should be remembered that our Galapagos Ecological Airport is a signatory to the Buckingham Palace Declaration, which seeks to combat trafficking in species in the world, for which we consistently train our staff and commit to notifying the relevant police authorities on shipments suspected of containing illegal wildlife and its products.”

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Read more about wildlife crime and sea turtles in One Green Planet, check out these articles:

• China Acts on Coronavirus and Temporarily Bans Wildlife Trade
• Animal Smugglers Drowned Birds into Ocean When Intercepted by Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard
• 1,400 Pieces of Endangered Sea Turtle Shells Disguised as Blue Plastic Seized in Miami
• 51 Endangered Star Tortoises Saved From Smugglers and Released in the Wild!
• How Coronavirus and the Wildlife Trade are Linked
• Smuggled Parrots Found Inside Water Bottles On Ship in Indonesia
• Florida Wildlife Authorities Bust Trafficking Ring Smuggling Thousands of Protected Flying Squirrels into South Korea

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