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Man accused of smuggling turtles expected to plead guilty in Ann Arbor

Posted at 9:54 AM, Dec 01, 2015
and last updated 2015-12-01 09:54:10-05

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A Canadian man caught with dozens of turtles inside his pants is getting snapped by the U.S. justice system.

Kai Xu is expected to appear in Ann Arbor federal court on Tuesday to plead guilty in the smuggling case. He was arrested last year while returning to Windsor, Ontario, with turtles.

The government says it was a typical practice. Agents say Xu ordered turtles online and would travel to the U.S. to pick them up or ship them to China.

In September 2014, Hong Kong authorities discovered a package of more than 300 turtles worth more than $30,000. An alleged accomplice was caught at Detroit Metro Airport bound for China with hundreds of turtles. Turtles are worth much more in China.