After landing in Berlin from his Cairo flight, customs officers stopped the man to search his luggage, which he claimed contained nothing to declare.
They discovered a dessert box, which the man said was filled with chocolates.
Those bizarre-looking chocolates turned out to be three live Moroccan tortoises. They were confiscated and placed under the care of the border veterinarian.
Tortoise smuggling is reportedly a multimillion-dollar industry, punishable by up to a $56,000 fine or five years in jail.