TWO Slovakian nationals were arrested with “suitcases full” of tortoises on the Cape West Coast this week, and are being held in custody after appearing briefly in court on Thursday. The men, Martin Kjskjn and Martin Uricek, are to be charged with illegal possession, collection and transport of 113 angulate tortoises, also known as “rooipens skilpad” on the West Coast. They were arrested on Wednesday night by a Lamberts Bay policeman who caught them along the roadside allegedly loading the creatures into their vehicle. “It was then that the police discovered a few suitcases full of tortoises,” Cape Nature Conservation spokeswoman Natasha Rockman said. Their bail application at the Clanwilliam Magistrate’s Court was postponed to November 21 so an interpreter could be found. They are being held in the Vanrhynsdorp prison. The men face a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment or R10_000 fine per charge, and a penalty of three times the commercial value of the tortoises. In September two Czechs were fined just under R170 000 for poaching animals and plants, and last week a German orchid dealer was fined R8 000 for the theft of protected plants from the Groot Winterhoek conservation area.