Using information gained from an anonymous tip, U.S. authorities detained a man this summer after noticing ‘irregularly shaped bulges’ in his sweatpants. But this wasn’t the Underwear Bomber 2.0. Instead, a Canadian man had taped 51 live turtles to his legs and groin and was attempting to smuggle them across the border, The Guardian reported.
Kai Xu and his accomplice Lihua Lin were nabbed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife agents near the Detroit border crossing, where the two were attempting to cross into Windsor, Canada.
Agents were tipped off by a Detroit UPS employee named “Dave” who contacted the fish and wildlife service and told them to be on the lookout for a seven-pound box labelled, “Live fish keep cool.”
In a dramatic turn of events not often seen in the world of wildlife management, agents put Xu under surveillance on Aug. 5 and observed him hiding behind two semi-truck trailers for around 10 minutes before reappearing with “irregularly shaped bulges under Xu’s sweatpants on both legs,” according to The Guardian.
While Xu was attempting to cross into Canada, Lin was caught at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, where he was trying to board a plane for Shanghai with two checked bags crammed with more than 200 turtles.
U.S. officials told the Guardian that turtle smuggling has increased over the past year due to increased demand in Asian food markets and from collectors.
“These turtles, by the time they get to the end-collector, they can be worth anywhere from $1,300 to $1,500 a turtle,” said Ed Grace, a deputy chief law enforcement officer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
