Shenzhen (China) Feb 24 (IANS) More than 3 300 live tortoises smuggled from Hong Kong were seized in China s Guangdong province officials said.
The tortoises weighing 86 kgs in total were discovered by Huanggang Customs in Shenzhen at about 1 a.m. on Thursday in a truck Wang Shaowen an official with the customs office was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.
The truck had been declared empty but when it was inspected a hidden compartment was discovered which was where the tortoises were concealed.
The truck driver said he was carrying the tortoises for someone else Wang said.
The tortoises are in quarantine while the investigation continues.
--IANS
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Over 3,000 smuggled tortoises seized in China
