A Surrey man has been fined $6,000 for numerous wildlife offences, including illegally transporting a protected snapping turtle between provinces.
Thai Hoang Khoi Le pled guilty on May 21, 2026, in Surrey provincial court and was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine for interprovincial transport of animals without the proper permits and $1,000 for unlawfully possessing live wildlife.
He was charged under the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA), and the fines will go to the federal government’s environmental damages fund.
“Environment and Climate Change Canada enforcement officers launched an investigation in November 2022 after receiving information that Le had ordered a protected snapping turtle from a seller in another province and had it shipped to his residence. They executed a search warrant at Le’s residence, where they found several protected reptiles, including snapping turtles, softshell turtles, and a caiman,” read a Government of Canada release Wednesday (June 10).
Investigators found that Le had knowingly transported the turtles across provincial borders without a permit required by WAPPRIITA.
Officers also found that he did not have the necessary authorization that is required by the B.C. Wildlife Act for the snapping turtle and softshell turtle.
All the reptiles in this case have been forfeited to the Crown.
Snapping turtles are on the list of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, “which means their interprovincial and international trade is regulated in Canada.”
“Turtle populations are highly vulnerable to human disturbance, and removing them from their natural habitat can hinder recovery efforts. As a result, the acts of possessing and transporting protected turtles are regulated, and enforcement officers work to ensure compliance with regulations. Respecting these requirements helps protect turtle populations and the ecosystems they depend on, both in Canada and worldwide,” reads the release.