But what if those goods weren't actually wildlife, but a disguised GPS tracker that revealed exactly where it had been taken instead? This is the approach being pursued by one group of scientists, who hope to use decoy eggs to tackle the illegal trade of endangered sea turtles in Central America.

The research project is a collaboration between scientists at the University of Kent and conservation outfit Paso Pacifico, and is hoped to offer a new tool in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade in Central America. Here, turtle eggs are taken from beaches and sold as a delicacy in bars and restaurants, and when dreaming up ways to track their whereabouts, the researchers found inspiration in a couple of very popular crime dramas.