A Chinese national, Sai Keung Tin, also known as Ricky Tin, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for his involvement in smuggling endangered turtles from the United States to Hong Kong. Tin pleaded guilty to four counts of exporting merchandise contrary to law after aiding and abetting turtle smugglers in the United States from February 2018 to June 2023.
According to the government’s filings and evidence presented during the hearing, Tin trafficked approximately 2,100 turtles to Hong Kong, with a market value of about $4.2 million. The turtles were primarily eastern box turtles, a species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). These turtles are highly sought after in the illegal pet trade, particularly in China and Hong Kong, due to their vibrant markings.
The case unfolded after Tin was arrested on February 25, 2024, upon his arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. The charges stemmed from an operation where U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) agents intercepted several smuggled packages in June 2023. The packages, falsely labeled as containing almonds and cookies, were found to be filled with live turtles bound in socks to restrict movement and avoid detection by authorities. These packages contained 40 eastern box turtles, with some of the reptiles found dead.
Further investigation revealed that Tin had been working closely with Kang Juntao, an international turtle smuggler from Hangzhou City, China, who had been extradited from Malaysia in 2019. Kang was involved in the illegal export of over 1,500 turtles, worth more than $2.25 million, from the U.S. to Hong Kong, including turtles smuggled by Tin.
Tin had detailed plans to purchase turtles in cash, ship them across the U.S., and then illegally export them to Hong Kong, evading detection by using various smuggling techniques. USFWS investigators found detailed notes on how to soak the turtles to mask odors and bind them in socks, all designed to avoid raising suspicion.
“Turtles with colorful markings are not only endangered but also part of a thriving illegal pet trade,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message that we will not tolerate the exploitation of protected species for profit.”
