Originally published at: Kayaking smuggler caught attempting to row 29 protected turtles into Canada - Boing Boing
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Makes you sad to think about the probable fate of those turtles in HK. Killed to bolster men’s egos.
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Would he have faced a luggage search leaving the US? Just trying to figure out what advantage Canada gets him.
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Eastern Box Turtles are not protected in Canada so possessing them is not illegal and would be less risky to possess here.
edits for clarity and to reference their French name: “Tortue-boîte de Caroline”.
Further edit per Floridamanjefe’s reaction: There aren’t any known Tortue-boite de Carolines in Canada to protect because they have been extirpated. Importing them is difficult if they come from a jurisdiction where they are protected, hence the simple row across a lake method.
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Also, busted in Torrance:
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Well, this turned out better than my attempt to smuggle snapping turtles in my underpants.
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This story makes my eye twitch. One does not row a kayak; kayaks are paddled.
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Clearly a dead giveaway. 
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Your failing was that you clearly labeled your underpants ‘Snapping Turtle Smuggling Underpants’.
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That, and my pitiful cries for medical attention.
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My curiosity is to how they were approached? Is anyone going on the lake under constant surveillance or do they just bother everyone when they come ashore? How did they know this person was from the American side basically and that they should interact with them as opposed to leaving them alone?
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There are a lot of cottages and whatnot on both sides of the border, with lots of kayaking and boating. I imagine that the three international lakes in Vermont are under border surveillance, since it would be so easy to cross the border, deliberately or accidentally.
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I’m guessing that the inflatable kayaks were Canadian Tire specials and rather stood out on the American side! And they were probably carrying $100K in Canadian Tire money. half/s
Seriously, since the RCMP have a Federal role in Quebec, I figure that it was part of a larger investigation including a cross border cooperation element. So they knew about it ahead of time. The news articles have huge logical gaps but it sounds like all the arrests took place on the American side before crossing into Canada.
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