Hanoi, Viet Nam, October 2015—More than 200 freshwater turtles are currently being cared for at Soc Son Rescue Centre
and the Turtle Conservation Centre following one of Viet Nam’s biggest ever turtle seizures. The animals, including around
100 Indochinese Box Turtles Cuora mouhotii and over 30 Big-headed Turtles Platysternon megacephalum and a small number
of leaf turtles Cyclemys spp. were confiscated by Nam Tu Liem district police in Hanoi last month. The turtles were seized in two
shipments. The first took place on the evening of 21 September after a car was seen behaving suspiciously at My Dinh bus station.
A 31-year old women living in Hanoi was found with suitcases containing Indochinese Box Turtles and other species. She said she
had bought the animals from a 32-year old woman from Ha Tinh province the previous day.