German police busted an alleged illegal animal transport after officers heard the whining of 18 kittens from the luggage area of a bus during an inspection.
The 12-week-old kittens were found crammed into six boxes and have now been placed with an animal shelter, police announced on Friday.
The 37-year-old owner of the kittens is facing charges of fraud and violation of Germany's Animal Health Act. According to police, the man presented forged vaccination records for the kittens after travelling with them across the German-Czech border on Thursday evening.
After the inspection of the bus and discovery of the kittens, he reportedly told police that he was trying to transport the animals to Paris for an acquaintance.
German law prohibits the import of particularly young animals and also requires animal vaccinations for imported animals, police said.
The stop occurred along the A6 motorway in southern Germany near the Bavarian town of Waidhaus.
