Customs Intercepted Expensive Wildlife Species at the Port of NAIA
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel confiscated half-million worth of expensive wildlife species at the port of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Personnel of the BOC at the Port of NAIA intercepted an estimated P.5 million worth of “wildlife species,” including rare spiders and centipedes. During a check at the Philpost Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC) in Pasay City, they were declared as “educational materials.”
The parcel from Thailand, which was addressed to Aldwin Capucae in Pasay City and declared to contain “Plastic Teaching Materials for University,” was confiscated by the Port of NAIA after it was declared “unclaimed” and “overstaying parcel,” according to the BOC.
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The recipient fails to process the shipment within the regulatory time frame. As a result, the parcel was surveyed, and 44 different species of wildlife were discovered, including 25 tarantulas, 12 spiderlings, 5 centipedes, and two ornithoctonus black spiders. The species were immediately turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, with a market worth of at least half a million dollars (DENR).
“Arthropods are invertebrate animals such as spiders, centipedes, and insects. In an uncontrolled environment, these species may have direct and indirect effects on human health, especially, the fact that these arthropods bite when threatened by external factors like presence of predators or humans. Other species also administer venom through a bite, producing extreme pain to the unfortunate recipient, and can be fatal to humans,” said the BOC.
The examiner recommended a warrant of seizure and detention (WSD) be issued on the said parcel, and that the claimant be subjected to further investigation for possible violations of Republic Act (RA) No. 9147 also known as the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, and RA 10863, also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) Section 117 in relation to Sections 1113 and 112.
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