Kinmen:Taipei A man has been indicted after being caught smuggling a marmot and eight turtles into Kinmen from China, according to Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA).

According to Focus Taiwan, the suspect, identified by his surname Chiu, was intercepted by Coast Guard officers upon his return to Kinmen from Quanzhou, China, on July 14. The officers, acting on intelligence about recent smuggling attempts, found the animals taped to Chiu's inner thighs.

The turtles, identified as black-breasted leaf turtles, were wrapped in elastic stockings and struggling due to heat and confinement. A marmot was also discovered, sedated and placed in a mesh bag. The CGA stated that Chiu was arrested for violating wildlife conservation and animal disease prevention laws and was indicted on September 15.

The CGA highlighted that the turtles were purchased in China for NT$200 each but could sell for NT$9,000 to NT$30,000 in Taiwan, with the potential to be misrepresented as rare species fetching up to NT$75,000. Additionally, the marmot posed a public health risk as a natural host for pneumonic plague.

The CGA transferred the seized animals to the Kinmen County Animal and Plant Disease Control Center and warned of the environmental and health risks posed by smuggling. They urged the public to report illegal activities via their 24-hour hotline.