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Man Admits Smuggling $1.4 Million Worth of Turtles in Socks
A Chinese national has pleaded guilty to smuggling hundreds of protected turtles and other reptiles out of the United States, concealing the live animals in socks and falsely labeling the packages as “plastic animal toys.”
Wei Qiang Lin admitted in a New York court to shipping approximately 850 eastern box and three-toed box turtles to Hong Kong. These native U.S. species are highly sought after in Asian pet markets due to their colorful markings.
Lin also shipped venomous snakes in separate packages. Authorities intercepted the turtles during a border inspection, discovering them bound and taped within socks inside the shipping boxes.
The smuggled animals, shipped between mid-2023 and late 2024, are valued at $1.4 million. Lin faces up to five years in prison and a substantial fine when sentenced in December. He has also agreed to forfeit any claim to the seized reptiles.
This case echoes a similar incident in March, where another Chinese national received a 30-month prison sentence for smuggling over 2,100 eastern box turtles, also concealed in socks and mislabeled boxes.