Camden police assist in seizure of illegal turtles

TWO alligator snapping turtles and 90 red-eared slider turtles have been seized from an illegal backyard operation, thanks in no small part to the work of Camden police’s rural crime investigator.

Two alligator snapping turtles were seized from a Milperra backyard, with assistance from Camden police’s rural crime investigator.

TWO alligator snapping turtles and 90 red-eared slider turtles have been seized from an illegal backyard operation, thanks in no small part to the work of Camden police’s rural crime investigator.

A Milperra home was raided in recent weeks after a tip-off by a community member and an extensive Department of Primary Industries (DPI) investigation.

A generic picture of the red-eared slider turtle. Picture: Valeriu Campan

An alligator snapping turtle at the Australian Reptile Park. Picture: Peter Clark

The community member was concerned “high-risk invasive turtles” were being kept illegally in the backyard of the residential address.

Camden police’s rural crime investigator helped execute the search warrant, alongside Greater Sydney Local Land Services members and DPI biosecurity and food safety compliance officers.

The two species of turtle are considered to be high risk, with the red-eared slider turtle described by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as “one of the world’s worst invasive alien species”.

“The two large alligator snapping turtles weighed 8.6kg and 13.7kg and are considered to be extremely dangerous as they are capable of delivering a powerful bite which could easily inflict a serious wound, and have been known to amputate fingers and toes,” DPI acting deputy director general of biosecurity and food safety Brett Fifield said.

“The 90 red-eared slider turtles are a species that originate from the eastern and central United States of America and it is an offence to keep, move, buy, sell, breed or otherwise deal with them unless authorised.”

The 92 turtles have since been tested for disease and destroyed.

“One of the charters of the rural crime investigators is to provide a multi agency approach to detect and prevent rural crime,” Camden police crime manager Detective Inspector Jayne Doherty said.

“It is due to this that the Camden police rural crime investigator became involved with the DPI operation.”

Breaches of the Biosecurity Act can attract a significant maximum penalty, with individuals facing fines of up to $1.1 million and three years imprisonment for serious offences.

The DPI are continuing investigations.