ANKARA, November 19. /TASS/. Customs officials at Istanbul International Airport have confiscated 5,000 medicinal leeches from two Russian citizens after they could not produce the paperwork for their import into Turkey, an offense that carries a fine of over 2,600,000 liras ($77,000), Istanbul Directorate of Provincial Agriculture and Forestry claimed.

"Approximately 5,000 large medicinal leeches, weighing a total of 8.34 kg, were attempted to be smuggled into our country, but have been seized. In the course of the inspection by border control agents, it was established that the two Russian citizens did not have the necessary documents on them for the medicinal leeches, protected by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). For this incident, the two foreign citizens will be fined 2,624,816 Turkish lira," the statement on the directorate’s website said.

The incident occurred in Istanbul Airport on November 18. During a luggage check, customs officers found boxes filled with live leeches in the passengers’ suitcases. When it was discovered that the individuals did not have the proper documents for the leeches, they were confiscated in accordance with the law.