An Israeli citizen was arrested at the international airport in Madagascar last week on suspicion of smuggling 59 rare turtles. The turtles were found in the man’s suitcase after customs officials scanned it. The man, who has not been identified, claimed that he was misled by a local who told him that exporting turtles from Madagascar to Thailand was legal.
The turtles, which are all young, were taken to the care of a water area and forest services officer at the airport. The officer said the turtles were in good condition and being treated for dehydration. The turtles will be transferred to the “Surviving Turtles” organization for further care.
Smuggling rare turtles is considered a serious offense in Madagascar and can result in prison time. The man has been released on bail and is awaiting trial.
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Attorney Mordechai Tzivin, who specializes in representing detainees abroad, Israelis with other citizenships abroad, and Arabs in enemy countries in Interpol matters, told JBN: “My client is a normative, law-abiding person who fell victim. He was misled by a local who told him that taking turtles from Madagascar to Thailand was legal. My client did not try to smuggle the turtles. He didn’t even hide the suitcase’s contents. I hope the local authorities will conclude that he is innocent. We trust the law enforcement authorities in Madagascar, a country that maintains human rights and a legal, orderly, and fair level like Western European countries.”
The smuggling of turtles is part of a phenomenon gaining momentum in Israel and Europe of smuggling rare turtles for turtle collectors. Collectors are willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars for them.
This is not the first time an Israeli citizen has been arrested for smuggling rare turtles. In 2019, an Israeli man was detained at Ben-Gurion Airport for attempting to smuggle 12 rare turtles. The man claimed he was taking the turtles to a friend in Thailand, but customs officials found that he had no documentation for the turtles and had paid a large sum of money for them. The man was eventually convicted of smuggling and sentenced to two years.
The smuggling of rare turtles is a severe crime that can have a devastating impact on the environment. Turtles are an important part of the ecosystem and their illegal trade can lead to their extinction.
If someone attempts to smuggle rare turtles, please report it to the authorities. You can also help protect turtles by supporting organizations working to conserve them.
