Turtle smuggler, found with 51 reptiles in his pants, pleads guilty

 By 
Max Knoblauch
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

A Canadian man who was caught smuggling 51 turtles in his pants across the Detroit-Windsor border into Canada last year pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday.

Kai Xu was arrested last year at the Canadian border when officials discovered the dozens of turtles -- which were very much alive -- strapped to his legs and around his groin.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Authorities say Xu was attempting to smuggle the turtles into Canada in order to sell them in China. He was carrying a wide variety, including eastern box turtles, red-eared sliders and diamondback terrapins; one species was worth as much as $800 per turtle, according to The Detroit News.

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