2 Russian nationals jailed for smuggling 206 turtles through Singapore

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2 Russian nationals jailed for smuggling 206 turtles through Singapore



Photo: Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore

Wednesday, Oct 14, 2015

SINGAPORE - Two Russian nationals were each sentenced to 15 months in jail today for smuggling 206 endangered turtles through Singapore in July.

Their sentences were backdated to July 9, when they were arrested at Changi Airport.

The men had arrived in Singapore on a flight from Bangladesh, and were on transit to Surabaya, Indonesia.

While they were passing through, a Certis CISCO aviation security officer detected four luggage bags stuffed with live turtles.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) found a total of 206 black pond turtles (Geoclemys hamiltonii), a critically endangered species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), in the bags.

The turtles are worth around $90,000 and are believed to be in high demand in the exotic pet trade.

Investigations showed that the two men, Pavlychev Maksim, 38, and Radkov Aleksei, 34, were approached by a friend to deliver the turtles to Indonesia.

The bags were lined with diapers and cloth to absorb waste excreted by the turtles.

The turtles were found to be dehydrated and in poor condition. To date, 27 have since died or had to be put down for welfare reasons.

The remaining turtles are being cared for by Wildlife Reserves Singapore.

"The Singapore Government has zero tolerance on the use of Singapore as a conduit to smuggle endangered species and their parts and products," Ms Lye Fong Keng, deputy director of Quarantine & Inspection Group (Wildlife Section) at AVA said.

"We will not hesitate to take harsh enforcement actions against any person or company that smuggles wildlife through Singapore," she added.

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