MANILA TIMES (Philippines) 18 March 06 DENR, Customs seize reptiles (Mark Ivan Roblas)
Reptiles as contraband?
Two crates of pythons, vipers and monitor lizards were exactly what the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Bureau of Customs seized at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 Friday.
Agents of the two government agencies received a tip about the contraband shipment Wednesday, prompting them to be armed with papers to confiscate the reptiles.
Glenn Pastor Fide, chief of the environment department’s Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Unit, identified the owner as Tony Santos, who is now being hunted by department operatives.
Fide said the shipper of the reptiles was a certain Alex Villaganes while the consignee is Sungai R USA Wildlife Inc., with address at Jones Road, Penang, Malaysia.
He said the suspects will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9147, the Wildlife Act of 1995.
DENR, Customs seize reptiles