Customs officials found living sheep hidden behind the headlights of a car crossing from Syria to Turkey on Thursday. Livestock smuggling from Syria to Turkey has been a common practice in the region due to excessive price differences between the two countries.

Military patrols usually spot and send back herds of livestock which have tried to be smuggled into Turkey.

But this time smugglers used a different method to transport living sheep from Syria to Turkey.

Customs officials in the Akcakale border crossing, linking the Syrian town of Tel Abyad to the Turkish city of Sanliurfa found the sheep being hidden behind the fitting of the headlights of a car crossing the border.  The sheep's mouths and legs were taped to avoid any noise which could have caught the attention of the custom officials.  More sheep were also recovered from a compartment inside the chassis of the car.

All the animals were taken under care in Turkey.

(Source: Reuters)