The Civil Guard has dismantled an illegal turtle hatchery in the town of San Pedro del Pinatar and the owner arrested for the illegal trafficking of protected species.
At the site 89 specimens were seized, the possession and reproduction of which, in captivity is prohibited.
The investigation began last January, when the Civil Guard became aware of the attempt to sell a Radiata tortoise, a protected species, by a person residing in San Pedro del Pinatar. Seprona agents established necessary devices to investigate the matter and to locate the alleged vendor.
The investigation led the agents to a house where there was suspicion of an illegal turtle hatchery. Following the issue of a warrant the Civil Guard searched the house, accompanied by veterinarians, where they found the 89 turtles, as well as four shells and five eggs.
Among the animals seized is an ‘Aldabrachelys Gigante’a with a weight close to 60 kilos and 60 centimetres in span. These male specimens can reach, in adulthood, 250 kilos and more than one metre in span.
The owner of the property – Spanish and 48 years old – has been arrested as an alleged perpetrator of the crime of illegal trafficking of protected species.
