Turtle smuggling: Woman pleads guilty to smuggling 29 turtles worth $40,000 across Canada-U.S. border

Woman pleads guilty to attempted smuggling 29 turtles worth over $40,000 from the United States to Canada using an inflatable kayak. Wan Yee Ng was arrested by Border Patrol agents in Vermont on June 26 as she prepared to cross Wallace Lake with a duffel bag, as reported by the Washington Post.
As officers approached, they observed another individual, believed to be Ng’s husband, paddling toward her from the Canadian side. While searching Ng’s duffel bag, officers discovered moving socks, revealing 29 individually wrapped socks. eastern box turtles. This protected species is currently classified as vulnerable due to the illegal pet trade and other threats.
According to the nonprofit Turtle Survival Alliance, transporting these turtles overseas without the proper permits is illegal, regardless of state laws on keeping them as pets. Ng pleaded guilty Friday to a smuggling charge in U.S. District Court in Vermont, with sentencing scheduled for December.
Ng, a Chinese citizen who lived in Canada, entered the United States on a tourist visa. Investigators claimed the turtles were intended for sale in Hong Kong, as revealed by his telephone communications. Turtles with distinctive markings are highly sought after in domestic and foreign pet markets.
The United States is a major source of both legal and illegal products. turtle tradewith more than 24,000 freshwater turtles intercepted between 1998 and 2021. Ng agreed to pay $3,480 for the care of the seized turtles.