Hoang Minh Trien, 59, was placed under house arrest on Wednesday for violating wildlife regulations related to the protection of endangered and rare animals, Thai Khac Chinh, a local senior police officer, said.

On May 8 the creatures were found in Tien’s house, some of them weighing 32 kg.

They included species like the Indochinese box turtle, the black marsh turtle and the elongated tortoise, all endangered species.

It is the largest case related to captive turtles and tortoises in the Central Highlands, police said.

The amphibians have been seized and handed over to rescue and conservation facilities.

A number of turtle and tortoise species in Vietnam are listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, with their existence threatened by trade as exotic pets, hunting for food and habitat loss.

They are legally protected.