Hundreds of endangered turtles destined to be made into Chinese medicinal turtle jelly have been saved after Customs officers discovered them aboard a mainland-bound lorry at a Hong Kong border checkpoint.
The haul of 665 Malayan Box Turtles was found hidden inside seven plastic boxes when the lorry was intercepted for a routine inspection at Lok Ma Chau at about 11pm on Thursday.
Staff from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department were called in to help identify them yesterday, according to Suen Kwok-cheung, Lok Ma Chau Customs divisional commander. The seized turtles range in size from 40cm to 80cm long and are worth a total of $67,000.
'We are told the consignment was bound for Shenzhen,' he said.
The 27-year-old driver of the lorry, a Hong Kong resident, was released unconditionally after helping with inquiries. Mr Suen said the agriculture and fisheries department would investigate the case.
A Customs spokesman said the turtles would probably have been used to make medicinal turtle jelly, which is popular in Hong Kong and on the mainland. Traditionally, the turtle shell is ground to powder and mixed with herbal medicine. Some suppliers tout the jelly as having anti-cancer and blood-detoxifying properties. It is also said to soothe joints, tendons and bones and alleviate menstrual problems.