A Chinese man has entered a guilty plea in a US district court for the illegal export of approximately 850 endangered turtles, which he concealed in socks and falsely labeled as toys. According to the US Department of Justice, Wei Qiang Lin shipped these parcels to Hong Kong from August 2023 to November 2024.
Lin’s shipments, which were labeled as containing "plastic animal toys" amongst other items, comprised mainly eastern box turtles and three-toed box turtles—species native to the US and sought after by collectors and pet owners in China. The turtles were discovered tied up in knotted socks during inspections by US officials, who estimated their combined market value to be around $1.4 million.
Both turtle species are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which requires export permits for any international trade. The eastern box turtle is currently listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
In addition to the turtles, prosecutors disclosed that Lin also exported 11 other parcels filled with reptiles, including venomous snakes. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 23 and may face up to five years in prison for his actions.
This isn’t the first case of turtle smuggling reported this year; in March, another Chinese individual received a 30-month prison sentence for a similar crime involving over 2,000 eastern box turtles, which were also packed in socks and misrepresented as food items. US authorities identified a significant black market for these turtles, which can fetch high prices among pet enthusiasts.
