The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, which carried out the swoop has seized 3,300 rare pig-nosed turtles after intercepting an attempt to smuggle the highly endangered species into the country by sea. The boat inspection near Johor on Malaysia’s southern coast on Wednesday discovered seven packages of turtles to be smuggled.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said, two people had been arrested. The Malaysian Authorities believe the smugglers hoped to sell the aquatic reptiles as exotic pets as they have a unique snout-shaped nose, making them popular inversely and at the same time endangered due to the risk. The turtles are native to Australia and are from the island of Papua/New Guinea, were worth about £28,000, the agency added.

The turtles are said to be grown to a length of 28cm and weigh up to 20kgs approximately. It is said that in some parts of Asian countries, the snout nose-shaped turtles are used for medicines and hunted for meat as well.