Flight attendants attempt to smuggle turtles into U.S.

Two China Eastern Airlines flight attendants tried to smuggle dozens of spotted (Clemmys guttata) and box turtles (Terrapene carolina) into China from Los Angeles. After Transportation Security Administration officials flagged the luggage for containing unusual round objects, the turtles were discovered and the flight attendants were fined and asked to leave the United States within 72 hours. They were also sentenced to three years of probation. A total of 31 live spotted turtles and 14 live box turtles were found in the flight attendants’ carry-on luggage. The turtles could have been worth more than $40,000 in Asia.

Read more in The Washington Post.