Suspect Wei Qiang Lin "labeled the boxes as containing 'plastic [and] animal toys,' among other things," authorities said

Law enforcement intercepted the turtles during a border inspection and observed them bound and taped inside knotted socks within the shipping boxes,” the DOJ said.

Wei Qiang Lin worked to ship 222 packages of about 850 turtles — worth an average of about $1,650 a pop — to Hong Kong for more than a year leading up to November 2024 before his clandestine operation was brought to a halt, the Department of Justice said.