Mud turtles crawl inside a basket as they are shown to the press during a news conference by Thai customs in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, June 2, 2011. [Agencies]

Thai customs found 451 turtles worth 1 million baht ($33,000) stashed in suitcases offloaded from a passenger flight from Bangladesh Thursday at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport, Reuters reports.

Turtles of varying sizes worth around 2,000 baht apiece in Thai markets, and seven false gavials worth 10,000 baht each, were found in small bags packed into cases after authorities received a tip off that a trafficker was on his way to Thailand.

The alleged trafficker, a Bangladeshi national, did not collect the luggage and fled on arrival in Bangkok, customs officials said.