They hid 68 living creatures in tights and wore skirts to try to get away with it!
On October 21, the customs released the exposure of the "smuggling case", which stunned everyone.
Fortunately, the Guangdong Customs found it in time and avoided this ecological disaster.
But why do these two men risk going to jail and do so?
Black turtle in trouser legs
The incident occurred in October this year, and customs officers at the Man Kam To Port were conducting routine inspections.
Suddenly, a woman wearing a black dress caught their attention.
It stands to reason that a person in a gauze skirt should walk lightly and elegantly, but this lady walks particularly awkwardly.
Her legs seemed to be stuck by something, and every step was careful, and her whole person looked like she was dancing a machine dance.
His eyes were also erratic. From time to time, he glanced at the security checkpoint, then quickly lowered his head and pretended to be indifferent.
The experienced customs officer knew at a glance that she must have hidden something she shouldn’t have.
Indeed, when the staff invited her to a check-up room, the lady’s face changed instantly.
Subconsciously, she held the dress with her hands, and the whole man stood there, half a day unable to speak.
And when she reluctantly pulled out the dress outside, the people present breathed a cold breath.
It turned out that she was still wearing a pair of black tights underneath.
The two legs of the pants were densely covered with turtles!
When the staff removed the tape, two small turtles were probably breathless, and suddenly found their heads out of the pants.
When all the turtles were taken down, the staff counted a total of 39! But it's not over yet.
Just five minutes after the first lady was inspected, another woman, dressed almost the same way, also entered the hall.
Her walking posture was just as rigid, her expression as tense, and her first deity was simply engraved in a pattern.
As expected, the lady also had turtles hidden in her pants, and the number was 29.
Two men joined together, bringing a total of 68 living turtles to try to enter.
Moreover, this is not an ordinary turtle, but rather a “crab-side neck turtle” from Africa.
They are very small. Even when they are adults, they are only two to three hundred kilograms, the size of a palm.
That’s why they can be so easily hidden in the pants.
But don’t look at these little turtles as they look cute, they’re unsuspecting “ecological killers.”
Eco-killer
First, their survival is terrifying and they can survive as long as the environment is not dry.
Even if you don’t eat for months, you can survive by reducing your metabolism.
Therefore, the warm and humid climate of southern China is simply paradise for them.
And these little guys eat anything, including but not limited to the small fish in the water, shrimp, water grass, and even frog eggs.
Once they settle down in the wild, native turtles and other aquatic animals are in trouble.
Food is robbed without saying, even where to survive will be crushed.
Over time, the native species of Chinese grass turtles, which we are familiar with, may be less and less, and even disappear.
Speaking of which, I have to mention the lesson of Brazilian tortoises.
Twenty or thirty years ago, Brazilian tortoises were introduced to China as pets. Many people follow the trend and buy, and throw them into the river when they are tired of raising them.
Due to the super-strong ability to survive, the Brazilian turtle gradually occupied the dining room, greatly narrowing the living space of the native turtle.
In order to control Brazilian turtles, the country has spent tens of billions, but the problem has not been completely solved until now.
The pygmy side-necked turtle is more troublesome than the Brazilian turtle. They are smaller and hidden more hidden, but their reproductive ability is not bad at all.
In the right environment, a pair of pygmy side-necked turtles can lay two or three nests of eggs a year.
Five to ten per litter, thousands over a few years.
In addition to destroying the ecology, these unvaccinated turtles are still moving the “bacterial repository.”
They were bound together, staying in hot, humid environments, and carrying a variety of bacteria and parasites.
Among them, the most dangerous is Salmonella, which can be transmitted to people through contact, especially the elderly and children.
After infection there will be vomiting, diarrhea, fever and other symptoms, and serious can also threaten life.
In addition, there is a fungus called "frog tuberculosis", which is simply an extinction catastrophe for frogs and frogs.
Once this fungus enters the water, amphibians throughout the area may die in large numbers.
As fewer frogs eat insects, pests will spread, birds and snakes that eat frogs will starve, and the entire ecological chain will be disrupted.
Two to three hundred losses behind
So why would these two women take such risks?
You may not believe it when you say it, just for the "errand fee" of two to three hundred Hong Kong dollars.
They said that someone asked them to help bring something to pass the customs, and promised to pay some hard work after it was done.
They thought that they could make money easily by bringing something. They didn't expect such serious consequences.
Until they were caught, they knew they were carrying a living turtle.
However, according to the law, it is illegal to bring alien species into the country without approval.
Therefore, not only will the two women face a fine of 50,000 to 250,000, but they may also go to prison if the circumstances are serious.
For a "errands fee" of two to three hundred yuan, the exchange may be ruined and imprisoned, which is really not worth the gain.
Behind the entry of alien species into the country is actually a complete black industrial chain.
In the pet market, the squirrel side neck turtle is loved by some young people who pursue novelty because of their small head and lovely appearance.
On social media, videos such as "mini turtle everyday" and "heartbreaking" are also high.
This materially stimulates market demand, there is demand for buying and selling, and there is harm for buying and selling.
At present, more than 660 invasive alien species have been discovered in our country, causing economic losses of up to hundreds of billions of yuan every year.
So, what can we do as ordinary people?
First, do not buy unknown foreign pets, see someone selling strange animals, and report it to the relevant departments in a timely manner.
If you have foreign pets, do not give birth.
You think you are doing a good deed by releasing animals, but in fact you have inadvertently destroyed the ecological balance.
If it does not really sustain, look for a professional agency to deal with it, and you can absolutely not throw it away.
conclusion
The 68 captured turtles have avoided an ecological catastrophe that could last for decades, and strict customs controls are the first line of defense to protect the country’s biosecurity. Protecting the ecological environment requires everyone’s involvement, starting with the rejection of foreign pets and ensuring that every native species can survive safely in their home – which is both a respect for nature and a responsibility for the future of mankind.
[Reference]
2025-10-21 -- "Two passengers have been searched for entering the country with a total of 68 live turtles tied in tight trousers"
New Chongqing-2025-10-21 - "Two women in loose dresses entered the country by customs: 68 live turtles are tied in the dress with tight pants"