Man tried to smuggle tortoises through airport by disguising them as pastries

A 69-year-old man recently flew from Cairo, Egypt, to Schönefeld Airport in Berlin with a very strange package of "desserts." The suspicious package, as it turned out, was not actually chocolate as the man told customs officers. Once they opened the pastry box, the officers found three Moroccan tortoises, according to The Local. No wonder the man wanted to leave the security area without declaring anything. The tortoises are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, aka the Washington Convention, which means the animals were confiscated by customs and brought to the border veterinarian. According to a press release, "Infringements of species protection regulations can result in fines of up to 50,000 euros" or prison for up to five years.

A 69-year-old man recently flew from Cairo, Egypt, to Schönefeld Airport in Berlin with a very strange package of "desserts." The suspicious package, as it turned out, was not actually chocolate as the man told customs officers. Once they opened the pastry box, the officers found three Moroccan tortoises, according to The Local.

Hauptzollamt Potsdam


Hauptzollamt Potsdam

No wonder the man wanted to leave the security area without declaring anything. The tortoises are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, aka the Washington Convention, which means the animals were confiscated by customs and brought to the border veterinarian.

According to a press release, "Infringements of species protection regulations can result in fines of up to 50,000 euros" or prison for up to five years.