Tortoise smuggler intercepted at Almeria port

GUARDIA Civil detained a French resident at Almeria port after discovering four tortoises hidden in his car.
The 60-year old identified as E.H.B. faces charges for transporting a protected species without the corresponding Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) documentation.
Officers discovered the four ‘Testudo Graeca” tortoises during routine inspections of vehicles disembarking from ferries doing the Almeria to North Africa crossing. When they came to the 60-year old’s top-of-the-range 4×4 they came across two boxes with holes cut into them concealed in the boot. Each box turned out to contain two tortoises.
The driver failed to produce any documentation.
The tortoises were put into the care of specialised centres.