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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Smuggled package of 12 pythons intercepted by BOC authorities

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Airport and Customs authorities intercepted a smuggled shipment of at least 12 juvenile (pythons) snakes at the Central Mail Exchange Center in Pasay City.

The snakes, according to Customs-Ninoy Aquino International Airport collector Carmelita Talusan, were brought into the country concealed inside a package and “were misdeclared as Taro chips from Indonesia.” 

The authorities made the apprehension a day after Customs NAIA officials turned over a shipment of confiscated 250 heads of geckos to the Bureau of Animal Industry at the Paircargo warehouse, also in Pasay City.

Market price of newly hatched snakes ranges from P5,000 to P20,000, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources 

It added that a full-grown reticulated python snake, considered the world’s longest and heaviest snake that usually constricts its prey, can weigh as much as 30-40 kilograms and can grow as much as 17 to 18 feet on an average.

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The government stated that importation of such wildlife species without the necessary permits violated Customs law, Republic Act 9147 (Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act) and Republic Act No 8485, or The Animal Welfare Act of 1998.

The non-venomous python snakes which recently arrived in CMEC were turned over to DENR representatives led by lawyer Andres Mikhail Villaruel for proper handling and protection.

Meanwhile, the shipment containing the exotic geckos arrived on Sept. 27, 2018 from Hong Kong and was consigned to Jose Pierino Nicolas of PC Exotic Pets in Caloocan City. 

Price range of these geckos are from $100 to $450 or P5,400.00 to P24,000.00.

The shipment was intercepted due to lack of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance.

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