Is that a turtle in your pocket? No Sir, It’s fourteen turtles!

A shoplifter was caught red-handed after stuffing a total of 14 small turtles in his pockets at an aquarium store in Tainan City yesterday, Sunday, January 21.

At around 4:00pm, a store clerk at an aquarium shop in Anping District noticed a small turtle fall out of a customer’s bulging trouser pocket, and suspecting the man was attempting to shoplift, immediately called the police.

Police from the nearby Huaping Police Station rushed to the aquarium shop and confronted the 57-year-old suspect, named Chen. Chen at first denied stealing anything and attempted to leave. However, police stopped Chen and proffered a bucket, requesting Chen empty his pockets. Chen reached into his pockets, and one by one, plopped 14 small turtles into the bucket.

The12 Brazilian turtles, one map turtle, and one snapping turtle had a total retail value of NT$6,475 (USD206).

After being interrogated at the police station, Chen was handed over to the Tainan Prosecutor’s Office to face charges of theft.

Chen might have gotten away with his crime if were wasn’t so greedy; or if his pockets were deeper.

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