International turtle smuggling has led a Hong Kong native to a sentence of 30 months in federal prison, though he insists no harm was intended.
Over a five-year period starting in 2018, prosecutors say Sai Keung Tin trafficked approximately 2,100 turtles to Hong Kong, where they were sold for upward of $2,000 each. Prosecutors emphasized the total market value of $4.2 million, while Tin’s defense attorney focused on the softer side of the smuggling conspiracy.
“These box turtles were intended to become beloved family pets in China,” defense attorney William Harris wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “The box turtles were carefully wrapped in stockings and adequately cared for during transit.”
In a handwritten letter to the trial judge, Tin likewise made the case for leniency.
