Philippine police arrest rare sea turtle poachers

This undated handout photo released on July 7, 2017 by Dumaran Municipal Police Station (MPS) shows policemen and volunteers arranging seized dead hawksbill marine turtles in Dumaran town. -AFP/Dumaran-MPS

MANILA: Philippine police said Friday they had seized 70 dead hawksbill marine turtles, a critically endangered species illegally trafficked for its prized shell, and arrested two suspects.

Hawksbills face an extremely high risk of extinction according to Swiss-based International Union for Conservation of Nature as their shell is used for making jewellery and hair ornaments.