Two indicted in tortoise smuggling

But inside, authorities said, crawled rare, endangered tortoises illegally plucked from native habitats across Asia, including India.

From Diamond Bar, at least 75 tortoises -- along with some rare monitor lizards -- were sold to exotic pet collectors across the country, with some of the rarest reptiles fetching thousands of dollars each.

On Thursday, authoritiesindicted two of the alleged ringleaders of the operation, capping a four-year investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Authorities called the case a particularly egregious example of what is a growing black market of exotic reptiles.

"We've had snakes come into Chicago and smuggling cases involving turtles and iguanas," said Scott Flaherty, with the California office of the Fish and Wildlife Service. "But it's worldwide."

Wai Ho Gin, a.k.a. "Bobby Gin," faces more than a dozen charges of smuggling, conspiracy and money laundering.

Umesh Kishore Tekani, a.k.a. "Mexx," faces the same charges but is believed to be in Singapore, the hub for transporting the tortoises into the U.S.

The pair are among six people charged so far, including wealthy customers from Southern California to the East Coast, who allegedly bought tortoises.

The smuggled species included Burmese, Indian star, pancake and radiated tortoises as well as green tree monitors.

Tortoises, whose importation is prohibited under the Endangered Species Act, are popular for their colorful shells and distinctive shapes.

The Indian stars, for example, are known for their bright sunburst-like shells. The radiated tortoises have a shell with multiple humps and detailed patterns.

In addition to being purchased as pets, some are also used for their purported medicinal benefits or as jewelry.

Federal authorities say they have e-mail correspondence dating from August 2002 in which Tekani allegedly offered to sell and ship tortoises to Gin in Diamond Bar.

In a 33-page affidavit, federal authorities detailed how Tekani allegedly packaged the reptiles to look like toy shipments.

One shipment had a layer of toy action figures on top of newspapers, prosecutors said.

Below it were 51 live Indian star tortoises packed three to each of 17 plastic containers.