Man Who Allegedly Hid Turtles in His Underpants Expected to Take Deal

Among the turtles seized in the investigation of an international smuggling ring were Blanding’s turtles, worth $300 each on the black market. (Photo by Ontley McNauth via Wikimedia/Creative Commons)

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A Windsor man who tried to cross into Canada from the Windsor Tunnel with more than 50 turtles hidden in his underpants and strapped to his body is expected to plead guilty to charges in federal court next month.

An alleged professional international smuggler known as “Turtle Man,” Kai Xu, 26, is expected to enter the plea in U.S. District Court on Oct. 28, The Detroit News reports. He was arrested in September 2014 at the Windsor-Detroit border into Canada after authorities noticed strange bulges in his sweat pants.

Xu had been the subject of an undercover investigation after authorities received a tip that he routinely placed online orders for turtles, received the shipments in the United States, and then traveled to the U.S. to pick them up or ship them to China.

Related:

• Man Arrested at Border with 50 Turtles Tucked in His Underpants
• What Happened to Turtles Alleged International Smuggler Hid in His Pants?
• Man Who Tried to Smuggle Turtles in Underpants Wants Deal

The Detroit News said it’s unclear what charges Xu will admit to, but they could land him in prison for up to 10 years. He remains in custody without bond.

An alleged accomplice, Lihua Lin, was taken into custody at the Detroit Metro Airport before he could board a flight to China with hundreds of turtles, the government said were valued at $30,0000. Lin, the alleged turtle courier, is free on bond awaiting a Sept. 30 preliminary hearing in federal court.

The turtles confiscated from the courier included 700 diamondback Terrapins, 16 kwangtung river turtles (worth $1,800 each), wood turtles (worth $500 each), Blanding’s turtles (worth $300 each) and albino red-eared sliders (worth $650 each), according to federal agents.

Authorities said the incident at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel was one of a string of bizarre smuggling attempts to feed the voracious appetite for the reptiles worldwide. Some are destined for the dinner table, but others are smuggled as pets. The turtle market is especially lucrative in China and other Asian countries.

“You see some extreme cases in which people try to smuggle things. Although this sounds really extreme, we see cases like this across the nation,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection Melissa Maraj told The Detroit News at the time of Xu’s arrest. “People use a lot of ingenuity and creativity. …”

The more than 1,000 confiscated turtles have been relocated to the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak.