A man attempted to smuggle tortoises past the Customs security in a Berlin airport by putting them in a pastry box to look like cake last March 2, according to a report by MSN News.
69-year old passenger from Schonefeld airport from Cairo tried to talk their way through the security and sneaked through the “nothing to declare” section.
However, he was stopped by security officers to get a thorough inspection of his things. While checking his baggage, the security saw a white pastry box, filled with tortoise-looking “desserts.”
When asked what they were, the man said the “desserts” were pieces of chocolates and claimed they were edible.
The security found it suspicious and looked into the box to find live Moroccan tortoises, which are known to be officially endangered, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Moroccan tortoises are known to be protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and those who violate the law are punishable with a fine of €50,000 (over P2.9 million) and could face up to five years in prison.
The tortoises were confiscated and were looked after by the airport veterinarian.
