BANGKOK, April 30 -- Thai authorities arrested a teenager at a Bangkok airport for allegedly smuggling 30 protected tortoises valued at about US$9,000 (RM36,000) that were taped under her clothing, wildlife officials said Wednesday.

Thailand is a major transit hub for wildlife smugglers who often sell highly prized endangered animals on the lucrative black market in Asia.

Authorities became suspicious of the 19-year-old Taiwanese woman's unusual movements as she prepared to board a flight to Taipei early Tuesday, Thailand's wildlife conservation department said in a statement.

A search at Suvarnabhumi airport's departure terminal uncovered the Indian star tortoises - 29 alive and one dead - strapped to her body, the department said.

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