Woman from China pleads guilty to smuggling turtles into Canada
- Wan Yee Ng was arrested on June 28, 2024, at Lake Wallace in Vermont while attempting to smuggle turtles.
- The eastern box turtles, a protected species, were found in her duffle bag, indicating a planned illegal export.
- Ng pleaded guilty and faces significant legal penalties, underscoring the seriousness of wildlife trafficking.
In June 2024, a woman from Hong Kong, Wan Yee Ng, was apprehended in Vermont while attempting to smuggle 29 eastern box turtles into Canada. The turtles, a protected species, were found individually wrapped in socks inside a duffle bag as she prepared to launch an inflatable kayak on Lake Wallace. Ng's actions were reported to authorities by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who had observed her accomplices paddling from Canada to the U.S. Ng's communications revealed plans to sell the turtles for profit in Hong Kong, where they can fetch up to $1,000 each on the black market. Following her guilty plea to unlawfully exporting the turtles, she faces a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for December 2024, highlighting the serious legal repercussions of wildlife trafficking and the protection of endangered species.