On Sunday, Ecuadorian customs officers discovered 185 turtles, which were tried to be smuggled into the mainland from the Galápagos Islands in a suitcase. The turtles were found in connection with a routine examination, according to BBC.
Local authorities tell the British TV channel that the turtles were wrapped in plastic wrap, and that ten of them were dead when they were discovered at an airport on the island of Baltra. The turtles were probably no more than three months old.
Aeropuerto Ecológico Galápagos has mentioned the incident in a press release.
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– Crime
The BBC writes that it is assumed that each turtle is worth around 5,000 dollars on the black market, ie over 40,000 Norwegian kroner. Illegal trade is considered one of the biggest threats to turtles in the Galapagos Islands.
The elephant turtles are among the most famous animals found in the Galápagos Islands, according to the BBC. The elephant turtle is the largest living land turtle, and can be 300 kilos heavy and 1.2 meters long.
Ecuador’s environment minister, Marcelo Mata, has described the incident as a crime against the country’s wildlife and natural heritage.
