Travelers bound for Hong Kong and Taiwan will soon undergo tighter examination of their luggage to prevent smuggling of illegal drugs, taxable goods, and reptiles.
A Bureau of Customs (BOC) official made this announcement on Thursday, saying that agencies have relaunched a campaign to discourage and avert the transport of endangered Philippine reptiles.
For the second time around, Hong Kong authorities returned endangered reptiles to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Manila after they were recovered from dehydration due to long flights from the Philippines.
The reptiles arrived at NAIA last Wednesday night and were brought directly to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Customs deputy collector for passengers services Teresita Roque said.
The animals were found by Hong Kong officials in plastic bags stored inside the luggage of a 22-year-old passenger last June 14 who is currently serving a six-week prison sentence in Hong Kong.
Roque said that her agency is coordination with the Office of the Transportation and Security OTS, Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group, and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminals.
She said that it is very alarming that the passenger managed to sneak out the reptile through check-in or hand carry luggage without being detected.
Most of the Philippine reptiles came from Mindanao and being sold in pet shops in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
source: interaksyon.com
