Wan Yee Ng, a woman attempting to smuggle 29 eastern box turtles across Lake Wallace into Canada, has pleaded guilty to a smuggling charge. Ng was arrested in June while preparing to enter an inflatable kayak in Vermont, carrying the turtles hidden in socks inside a duffle bag, as detailed in an affidavit filed in federal court.
Eastern box turtles are a protected species known for their striking orange and yellow markings on a dark brown shell. They can fetch high prices on the black market in China, reportedly selling for as much as $1,000, according to the Associated Press.
Ng faces serious consequences for her actions, with the possibility of up to 10 years in prison and fines reaching $250,000. On June 26, as she was getting ready to paddle across the lake, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police alerted border patrol agents about two individuals who had launched a similar inflatable watercraft on the Canadian side. It was later confirmed that those individuals were Ng's husband and another accomplice.
Lake Wallace has a history of being used for smuggling, including both humans and narcotics. Over the past year, several individuals have been arrested for attempting to smuggle turtles to China.
In a related case from March, a grand jury indicted a man from Hong Kong for allegedly mislabeling packages containing 40 protected turtles, claiming they held almonds and chocolate cookies instead.
The Turtle Survival Alliance, a conservation organization, classifies the eastern box turtle as “vulnerable” due to threats such as habitat destruction, road mortality, disease transmission, and illegal trade.
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