AVA finds turtles in home of man who was caught with hidden tortoise at checkpoint

The animals found were an African spurred tortoise (pictured), a Mekong snail-eating turtle, a razor-backed musk turtle and a snake-necked turtle. PHOTO: FACEBOOK/AVA
The animals found were an African spurred tortoise, a Mekong snail-eating turtle (pictured), a razor-backed musk turtle and a snake-necked turtle. PHOTO: FACEBOOK/AVA
The animals found were an African spurred tortoise, a Mekong snail-eating turtle, a razor-backed musk turtle (pictured) and a snake-necked turtle. PHOTO: FACEBOOK/AVA
The animals found were an African spurred tortoise, a Mekong snail-eating turtle, a razor-backed musk turtle and a snake-necked turtle (pictured). PHOTO: FACEBOOK/AVA
Officers found a leopard tortoise hidden in an eyewear case in his glove compartment. PHOTO: FACEBOOK/AVA

SINGAPORE - The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has found more illegal wildlife in the home of a man who was caught at Woodlands Checkpoint with a leopard tortoise in his vehicle.

The man had been stopped by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers just after midnight last Friday (April 13).

Officers found a leopard tortoise hidden in an eyewear case in his glove compartment.

That same day, AVA conducted follow-up checks at the man's home and found a tortoise and three turtles, which are not approved pets. The animals found were an African spurred tortoise, a Mekong snail-eating turtle, a razor-backed musk turtle and a snake-necked turtle.

The animals were seized and placed in the care of Wildlife Reserves Singapore, AVA said in a Facebook post on Thursday.

AVA added that the leopard tortoise found in the car, as well as some of the reptiles found in the man's home, are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites).

Keeping wild animals is an offence in Singapore.

If found guilty, offenders can be fined up to $1,000 and have the animals forfeited.

If the species of the wildlife is protected under Cites, offenders found in possession of, or found selling illegally imported animals, can be jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to $500,000.

ICA had also found contraband cigarettes, e-cigarettes and related accessories in the man's car.

He was given a compound fine of $300 by Singapore Customs for the offence of failure to declare cigarettes and referred to AVA and the Health Sciences Authority for further investigations.

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