Is that 51 live turtles in your pants or you just happy to see me

How many turtles could you conceal on your person and still feel comfortable while crossing an international border?

Turtle Harvest MoratoriumFor 27-year-old Kai Xu, the answer was 51.

The Canadian national has pled guilty to attempting to smuggle over 1,000 turtles from southeastern Michigan to either China or Ontario, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Xu would typically order the turtles online, travel to the U.S. to pick them up, and either return to Canada or ship them to China. Xu “regularly deals in turtle shipments worth $30,000, $80,000 or $125,000,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Woodward said in a court filing, according to the Associated Press. “In China, the turtles he smuggles are worth two to three times the amount he pays here.”

Last August, Xu was stopped with 41 live turtles strapped to his body and a further 10 “hidden between his legs,” according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife. (They did not specify how he accomplished either of those tasks.)

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About Douglas Powell

A former professor of food safety and the publisher of barfblog.com, Powell is passionate about food, has five daughters, and is an OK goaltender in pickup hockey. Download Doug’s CV here. Dr. Douglas Powell editor, barfblog.com retired professor, food safety 3/289 Annerley Rd Annerley, Queensland 4103 dpowell29@gmail.com 61478222221 I am based in Brisbane, Australia, 15 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time