Animal court case

TWO Noble Park residents have faced court over keeping pests and illegally imported animals.
Quoc Cuong Tang, 32, and Hong Phpung Tang, 30, appeared in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Wednesday) after a year-long investigation by the Department of Sustainability and Environment.
Police charged the pair in August with keeping red-eared slider turtles and noxious fish.
The red-ear slider originates from the United States and has an aggressive nature that affects the feeding habits of native wildlife.
The charges also related to keeping the native eastern longnecked turtle without a licence.
The pair faced up to five years’ imprisonment or $110,000 in fines.
A verdict was not reached before Star went to print.