Shanghai Customs has seized 41 endangered turtles and a number of live flies from overseas shipments, local officers announced yesterday.

It’s the first time that customs had seizedHeteronychia filia flies,a species that can transmit serious diseases.

Customs said that on August 26, officers investigated a rare animal smuggling case in which 40 protected spotted box turtles and one river turtle were found among more than 2,000 turtles sent from Mexico.

Two suspects surnamed Ren and Xia have been detained by police and the endangered turtles were sent to a local zoo for temporary care. The pair ordered the turtles from a Mexican retailer to be sold in China, customs said.

Meanwhile, officers at ] Pudong International Airport discovered live flies inside a container on a flight from Frankfurt.The goods and containers were moved to a safe place to be sterilized.

The flies, Heteronychia filia, can pollute food and spread diseases such as cholera and polio.