Customs agents at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have intercepted a shipment of four tarantulas bound for South Korea.
Personnel of the Customs X-ray Inspection Project (XIP) under lawyer Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang scanned the parcel at the Central Mail Exchange Center in Pasay City and detected suspicious images which turned out to be spiders.
“Through the intensified screening of XIP operatives, the parcel was tagged as suspiciously containing illegal goods based on the generated images,” the BI agents said.
The package was subsequently examined in coordination with agents from the Enforcement and Security Service – Environmental Protection and Compliance Division and Department of Environment and Natural Resources detailed in NAIA.
“As per examiners findings, it contains four heads of tarantulas in violation of Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act,” the BI said in a report.
The shipment came from a sender in Caloocan City and consigned to somebody in Seoul via Express Mail Service of the Philippine Postal Corporation (Phipost). It was falsely declared as “Snacks – Sweet Salted Fish”, a clear case of technical smuggling.
The seized parcel was immediately turned over to Department of Environment and Natural Resources for safekeeping and monitoring, pending investigation and filing of case against the sender, whose name was temporarily withheld.
The sender will be charged with violation of Sections 117 and 1113 of the Republic Act 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) in relation to RA 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.
Under Section 27(i) of Republic Act No. 9147, the penalty for “transporting of wildlife” without the necessary permit is imprisonment of six (6) months and one (1) day to one (1) year and/or
fine of Fifty thousand pesos (50,000) to One hundred thousand pesos (100,000).
The Customs bureau has assured it has strong collaboration with DENR against wildlife smuggling and remain vigilant in monitoring the import and export transactions of animals, especially those critical and endangered species.