DAVAO CITY (April 7) — Bureau of Customs personnel stationed at the central Mail Exchange of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Monday, April 1, confiscated 757 live tarantulas.
The Tarantulas are classified as endangered wildlife species. The confiscated items was worth P310,000, were gift-wrapped and hidden in the boxes of oatmeal and cookies.
“The shipment was sent from Poland by a certain Wojciech Pakasz and was consigned to Jesse Camaro, a resident of Caloocan City,” said Customs district collector Carmelita Talusan.
The tarantulas were turned over on Tuesday to Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Unit – Department of Environment and Natural Resources (WTMU-DENR) .
Violators of Illegal Wildlife Trading may face imprisonment of one (1) year and one (1) day to two (2) years and a fine of twenty thousand pesos (Php 20,000.00) to two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00) based on R.A. 9147 (Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act) and/or three (3) years and one (1) day but not more than six (6) years imprisonment or a fine of not more than three hundred thousand pesos (Php 300,000.00) under unlawful importation pursuant to RA 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act).
From 2018 up to present, BOC-NAIA has turned over to DENR a total of 2,152 wildlife and endangered species including the 250 geckos, 254 corals and other endangered reptiles which were apprehend thru air parcels, baggage and shipments. Recently, 63 iguanas, chameleon and bearded dragons were also intercepted through the efforts and vigilance of the frontliners and operatives of BOC-NAIA.
In March 2019, the Bureau of Customs was globally recognized for its successful anti-illegal trade efforts which resulted in the seizure of 1,529 smuggled turtles from Hong Kong..-NewsLine.ph
