A man from Brooklyn, New York, is facing potential jail time in the United States for attempting to smuggle approximately 850 turtles, valued at around £1 million, into Hong Kong. Wei Qiang Lin stands accused of mislabeling live turtles as fake toys before shipping them in delivery boxes to Hong Kong over a span of several weeks, as per the US Department of Justice.
According to court documents, between August 2023 and November 2024, Lin sent about 222 parcels containing the turtles to Hong Kong, disguising them as ‘plastic animal toys’ among other items. The turtles were discovered during a border inspection bound and taped inside knotted socks within the packaging. Additionally, Lin also shipped 11 parcels containing various reptiles, including venomous snakes.
The turtles found in the boxes were eastern box turtles and three-toed box turtles, both native to the USA and known for their vibrant markings that make them sought-after in the pet trade markets, particularly in China and Hong Kong. These species are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) due to previous illegal exports during the 1990s.
Lin has admitted guilt in the US District Court for the Western District of New York for falsely labeling the live turtles as toys before exporting them. He could face up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 (£184,000) or double the gains or losses from the illegal activity. Lin’s sentencing is scheduled for December 23, and as part of his plea, he has agreed to relinquish any ownership rights to the seized reptiles.
The investigation into this case was led by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, with assistance from various federal and local law enforcement agencies, including Customs and Border Protection, Postal Inspections Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.
This incident follows the sentencing of Chinese national Sai Keung Tin, also known as Ricky Tin, to 30 months in prison in March for smuggling over 2,100 eastern box turtles disguised in socks and labeled as almonds and chocolate cookies. Each turtle was estimated to be worth $2,000 (£1,472), totaling a staggering $4.2 million (£3 million) for the smuggled reptiles.