By coincidence, the purchase was completed on the same day that Italian bureaucrats decided it was time to stop the exodus and initiated an international investigation into the illegal traffic, to be conducted by an unforgiving prosecutor named Paolo Ferri.

ECONOMIST: The hypocrisies of the antiquities world

That move sparked an angry debate over users' Internet rights and spurred the Federal Communications Commission last month to declare the practice of filtering traffic illegal.

FORBES: The Internet's New Shortcut

Air traffic controllers say the illegal radio broadcasts often block out vital communications with pilots.

BBC: Ofcom said there were 70 such cases in 2006

Although the policy of clamping down on illegal immigration in cities is working, federal officials are surprised at the amount of traffic that has been diverted to the desert.

ECONOMIST: Illegal immigration

Richard Thomas of Traffic International, an organisation trying to stop the illegal trade in exotic animals, said both species of tortoise involved in this case were incredibly rare.

BBC: Smuggled rare Madagascar tortoises seized in Malaysia

But while there is compelling evidence that illegal, over-the-counter, and prescription drugs are playing an increasing role in traffic crashes, there are no standards or testing criteria for these substances, and their role in crashes is often under-reported.

WHITEHOUSE: Drunk and Drugged Driving: Not an Acceptable Part of Life