185 baby tortoises found in suitcase marked ‘souvenirs’ in Galapagos Islands

Customs officials at a Galapagos Islands airport spotted something strange Sunday in X-rays of a suitcase marked “souvenirs,” authorities say.

When they opened it up, workers found 185 baby tortoises wrapped in plastic as part of a smuggling scheme, a Facebook post by airport officials says.

Baby tortoises from the islands, home to many unique species, can sell for up to $5,000 apiece, to animal collectors and exotic pet markets, BBC News reported. Ten of the tortoises had died after being wrapped in plastic, presumably to keep them still to try to avoid detection.

Workers at the loading terminal at the airport on the island of Baltra detected “irregularities” in X-rays of the suitcase, the post says.

“It should be remembered that our Galapagos Ecological Airport is a signatory to the Buckingham Palace Declaration, which seeks to combat trafficking in species in the world,” officials wrote.

Airport workers are trained to detect efforts to illegally smuggle animals off the islands, located off the coast of Ecuador, the post says.

No arrests have been made but workers at the transport firm that dropped the suitcase off at the airport have been questioned, BBC News reported. If convicted, the smugglers could face up to three years in prison.

This story was originally published March 31, 2021 at 2:33 PM with the headline "185 baby tortoises found in suitcase marked ‘souvenirs’ in Galapagos Islands."