A man has been jailed after 107 protected sea turtles were found frozen in the back of a truck.
The man, known by his surname Shen, was arrested after his refrigerated truck was discovered in woods in the Zhejiang province of eastern China.
Police made the discovery in 2018 and details have been released to warn the public against animal trafficking.
Officers stopped to investigate the suspicious looking truck which was parked in a wooded area at the side of a highway.
The frozen turtles are estimated to be worth over 3 million yuan ($420,300), as per the Daily Mail.
Shen was sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison and handed a fine of 150,000 yuan ($21,000). Two other residents who sold four of the sea turtles to Shen were also imprisoned, the Daily Mail reports.
According to the World Wildlife Fund sea turtles are killed for their eggs, meat, skin, and shells. They are recognized as second-class protected wild animals in China.
Chinese officials have pledged to crack down on the consumption and trade of wildlife amid the coronavirus pandemic.
This should serve as an example to others that animals are not there for our taking. Please share.
