A passenger passing through Berlin’s airport from Cairo tried to smuggle in three live tortoises in a pastry box saying they were cakes that ere meant to look like turtles.
The passenger tried to go through the “nothing to declare” section at Schönefeld airport when he was stopped by security.
The tortoises were stowed inside a pastry box, with the shells clearly visible through the plastic packaging.
The man tried to pass off the animals as “edible”, saying they were chocolate tortoises designed to look realistic.
However, it quickly transpired these were in fact live Moroccan tortoises, officially an endangered species.
The amphibians were confiscated and are being looked after by the airport vet.
If found guilty of animal trafficking, the man in question faces a fine of up to €50,000 (£43,000) or a five-year prison sentence.