BOC intercepts turtles, eels at NAIA

Bureau of Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña (Photo: Commissioner Isidro Lapena/Facebook)

MANILA — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Friday intercepted seven packages bound for Taiwan and found to contain 123 Chinese soft shell turtles and live eels.

Commissioner Isidro Lapena on Saturday led the inspection of the seven packages bound for Taiwan via China Airlines CI-704. “It was through profiling and manual examination of the Export Division that the bureau was able to intercept the shipment of 3H Enterprises Ltd.,” he said in a statement.

It was learned that the shipper’s address is at 97 Panginay Guguinto Bulacan and the consignee is Jan Birt Co. Ltd. with address at 1F-1, No. 178, Sec. 1 Zhengxiao E. Rd. Zhongsheng Dist., Taipei City Taiwan.

The turtles reported to have cone from Pampanga with no Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) permits required before exportation.

“These turtles aside from being endemic to China and Taiwan can also be farmed. They are usually harvested for food and folk remedy tonics, however, it is a regulated export, a permit from DENR must be secured first prior to exportation,” NAIA District Collector Ramon Anquilan said.

The DENR is still determining the market value of the turtles.

Meanwhile, BOC’s Enforcement and Security Service operatives in coordination with the DENR and intercepted outbound wildlife species in two separate occasions last month.

A package bound for Sweden declared to contain sweet pastries but was found to contain one pit vipers, four Philippine cobra and 10 sailfin lizards was seized last October 26.

Documents indicated a certain Waldemar Timotheus of Sjobo, Sweden as consignee and a certain Arvin Tuyay of 51st Leonor St., San Pablo City, Laguna as the shipper.

Last October 30, another parcel containing seven pit vipers bound to China was intercepted after x-ray examination.

It was shipped by a certain James Ryan Salcedo of SAAC New Road, Lapu-lapu City, Cebu and consigned to certain Li Sheng with foreign address at Guandong Province in China.

All wildlife specimens were turned over to the DENR.