RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This past week, a Canadian man pleaded guilty to smuggling charges in the U.S. He was caught at a border checkpoint between Detroit and Windsor. Your basic, run-of-the-mill border crime, right? Sure, if smuggling 51 live turtles in your pants is run-of-the-mill. Last fall, Kai Xu was subjected to an inspection at the Canadian border after guards got a tip from U.S. agents. These agents had been following Mr. Xu after he received a suspicious package, and they noticed that his legs looked funny. They had weird-looking bulges under his sweat pants. When guards searched him at the border, they found 41 turtles taped to his legs - 10 more between his legs. You heard that right. Some of the turtles he was attempting to transport might fetch up to $800 each. Turtles in his pants... Nothing more to say really. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.