The Bureau of Customs (BOC) - Port of Clark reported on Tuesday that 178 spiderlings hidden in an air parcel from Indonesia were seized last October 30.
According to BOC, the parcel, which was declared as "hairpins" was supposedly bound for Valenzuela City but was flagged for physical inspection due to a suspicious declaration by the consignee.
Upon inspection by authorities, the air parcel was found to contain 157 vials of live spiders, with 21 vials holding deceased specimens.
Following the seizure, the spiders were immediately turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-PENR).
The attempt to smuggle live spiderlings violates both Sections 117 and 113 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and R.A. No. 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.
Moreover, Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio underscored that the BOC’s efforts to prevent smuggling are vital not only for protecting wildlife but also for maintaining national biosecurity and ecological balance.
