The shocking discovery was made at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. Smugglers had hid hundreds of live, rare tortoises in several suitcases, according to ABC News.
In total, customs found 330 tortoises, at an estimated value of $277,000 USD on the black market.
The tortoises, which require special permits to enter the country and were marked as “stones” on the flight manifest, arrived in Malaysia from Madagascar.
Of the tortoises, 325 were Indian Star tortoises, a threatened species found in India and Sri Lanka. The remaining five were plowshare tortoises, a critically endangered species found in Madagascar.
Almost all the tortoises were alive and saved. However, no arrests have been made yet.
Every year, smugglers earn hefty profits selling rare endangered animals around the world. So if you’re on vacation abroad, think about what you bring home. You don’t want to support the illegal trade of animals and plants.
We must put an end to the illegal trade of animals.
Please share if you also think that animal smuggling is completely unacceptable!