Government agents intercepted a shipment of various reptiles inside an accredited bonded warehouse at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Customs District III Collector Ramon Anquilan said his men discovered five Philippine cobras, one of them a viper, and 10 sailfin lizards inside plastic containers declared as sweet pastries.
He said that the shipment was bound for Sweden.
Nine of the lizards were already dead when it was found by Customs agents at the Pair Cargo last Oct. 26, 2017.
The shipment sender was identified as one Arvin Tuyay, a resident of San Pablo City in Laguna, while the consignee was Wal Demar Timot of Sjobo, Sweden.
Anquilan said he ordered his men to verify the authenticity of the sender and its recipient.
When Customs authorities found the reptiles, they noticed that the plastic containers do not have a single hole for ventilation which caused the deaths of the nine lizards.
The rest of the reptiles were subsequently turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for treatment.