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EARTH-2026-0020
The verified case and its evidence have been sent to the office that can act on it.
On 12 June 2026, Bureau of Customs officers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport found 50 live Radiated and Indian Star tortoises, both CITES-listed species, concealed in the luggage of a Malaysian passenger arriving from Bangkok after x-ray screening flagged the bag. The tortoises were documented, inventoried and turned over to the DENR for custody. The passenger was held for inquest under Republic Act 9147 (Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act) and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
This case is documented in public reporting. Every fact on this page comes from the sources below, which are kept against the case so the record can be checked.
Bureau of Customs · Jun 15, 2026
GMA News · Jun 15, 2026
Every change of state, timestamped, oldest first. Entries are added, never edited or removed, so the record of how long something took cannot be quietly improved later.
Fifty live tortoises were discovered in an arriving passenger's luggage during physical examination.
Recorded by Bureau of Customs NAIA
The tortoises were turned over to DENR and the passenger was subjected to inquest for violating RA 9147 and the CMTA.
Recorded by BOC with DENR and Bureau of Animal Industry
The measured result
Taken on a return visit after the work was done, not estimated on the day.