Zhuhai’s Gongbei Customs announced in a statement yesterday that its officers seized 158 terrapins from a Macau resident at Gongbei checkpoint on July 24.
Gongbei Customs said the suspect, surnamed Ung, attempted to smuggle the reptiles into the mainland.
According to the statement, Ung entered the mainland on that day via the “nothing to declare” green channel in the passenger inspection hall. Customs officers noticed that he was unusually nervous as he walked through the area and stopped him for a search. Upon further examination, officers discovered four transparent plastic food containers inside his shoulder bag, each containing a large number of live terrapins, totalling 158.
The terrapins have been identified by the Technical Centre of Gongbei Customs as Sternotherus odoratus (common musk turtle), a species listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The species is native to Canada and the United States.
Gongbei Customs reminded the public that, under relevant laws and regulations, carrying endangered species or their products into or out of the Chinese mainland without a valid import/export permit is strictly prohibited. Serious breaches constituting a criminal offence will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
This undated handout photo provided by Zhuhai’s Gongbei Customs yesterday shows 158 common musk turtles seized by its officers at Gongbei checkpoint on July 24.
