A Maltese man is facing animal cruelty charges after allegedly attempting to transport 300 tortoises and 77 parrots from Sicily to Malta. The animals were found packed into a car near the boarding area for a Malta-bound catamaran during an inspection at the Sicilian port of Pozzallo, the local unit of Italy’s financial police squad said on Monday.

Subsequent checks by veterinarians found that 76 of the parrots belonged to species protected by the Washington convention, a global agreement signed in 1973 to protect endangered plants and animals from the risk of international trade. Police said the seizure was one of the most significant under the convention. The animals have been entrusted to a breeding facility, police added

• Man caught with 300 tortoises and 77 parrots bound for Malta at Sicilian port