550 Central Asian (Afghan) Tortoises have been returned to Pakistan after they had been shipped to Hong Kong declared as crabs, reports Dawn.com

TRAFFIC note: in March 2009 an identical number of Central Asian Tortoises was seized from a Quetta-Karachi train in Pakistan.

Rare tortoises smuggled out, sent back
Dawn.com
15 June 2009

KARACHI: A large number of Afghan tortoises ? a rare and endangered species ? that were smuggled out by wildlife traffickers but caught at their far eastern destination have been returned to Pakistan, it is reliably learnt.

According to highly-placed sources, a Karachi-based company had shipped the consignment of the Afghan tortoises, declaring them crabs, for Hong Kong. It got through the customs at the Karachi airport a few days back.

More at: http://65.175.69.196/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/sci-tech/12-rare-tortoises-smuggled-out-sent-back--bi-05