ALBANY, N.Y. -- An undercover investigation into the poaching, smuggling and illegal sale of protected reptiles and amphibians by the state Department of Environmental Conservation has led to 18 arrests.

DEC Investigator Lt. Dick Thomas said the motivation is simple. "It's for the thrill. It's owning and possessing something you know you can't legally have."

Tens of thousands of dollars are made in New York State on the trade and sale of endangered species. For the past year and a half, the DEC has been running an undercover operation dubbed "Operation Shellshock," trying to slow the business.

DEC Investigator Peter Finelli said, "They caught one trafficker with 33 Massasauga rattlesnakes hidden in every imaginable and unimaginable place in a van."

A black timber rattlesnake confiscated is one of three venomous snakes found in New York State. While this specific snake can be sold anywhere from $300 and $500, some of the turtles confiscated during "Operation Shellshock" were even more expensive.

Finelli said, "They caught another dealing Yellow Spotted Amazon River Turtles worth $5,000 apiece, an internationally listed endangered species."

No matter if the animal is wild caught or captive bred, it's illegal to sell or trade endangered species in New York State. But officials say the temptation for many people to get involved in the business is real.

Thomas said, "With the economic crisis we all face, some people may be enticed, knowing that they can get $400 for a wood turtle that is in the stream next to their house, to sell it on the Internet."

The punishment, however, is steep. Fines can get up into the thousands, with two- to five-year sentences for the offense.

Those charged in the investigation include 18 people in New York, six in Pennsylvania, and one in Canada.