By Tim Binnall
Authorities at an airport in Thailand busted a Taiwanese teenager who had surreptitiously taped thirty tortoises to her body in an alleged attempt at smuggling the creatures out of the country. The tongue twister of an arrest reportedly occurred last Tuesday morning at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. As the unnamed 19-year-old suspect was about to board a flight home to Taipei, she was stopped by security officers who noticed something unusual about the way she moved.
That observation proved rather astute as, upon searching the eyebrow-raising traveler, they discovered a staggering thirty Indian star tortoises, valued at approximately $9,000, in her possession. "The suspect had used adhesive tape to immobilize the animals," Thailand's wildlife conservation department explained in a statement about the odd arrest, "and attached them to her body to evade detection."
The teen was promptly arrested for the illegal transportation of animals and could face additional charges if it is determined that she is part of a larger smuggling operation. As for the thirty tortoises stashed away during the audacious scheme, 29 of the creatures fortunately survived the unwanted misadventure and are now in the care of wildlife officials.