Officials at an airport were left 'shell-shocked' - when they discovered more than 1500 live turtles and tortoises stashed inside a traveller's luggage. The exotic collection, worth more than ?L70,000 GBP on the illegal wildlife market, was found in Manila duct taped and spread across four bags owned by a passenger travelling from the Philippines to Hong Kong. In total 1,529 live reptiles were rescued. Officers think they were smuggled into the Philippines to be sold on the black market but the trafficker may have panicked after seeing that the penalty was a hefty fine and two years in jail, as the bags were left unclaimed in the arrival area. The reptiles were discovered at Ninoy Aquino International Airport earlier this month. They included red-eared slider turtles along with star, redfooted, and sulcata tortoises, which are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of threatened species. All the animals have been handed over to the Philippines' Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Unit. Last year, the airport discovered 560 items being smuggled for the illegal wildlife trade, including 250 gekkos and 254 pieces of coral smuggled in parcels, baggage and in shipments. Also rescued at the airport this year have been 63 iguanas, chameleons and bearded dragons. Credit - Bureau of Customs PH/MEGA. 20 Mar 2019 Pictured: The smuggled reptiles which were attached with duct tape into the luggage. Photo credit: Bureau of Customs PH/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342

Officials at an airport were left 'shell-shocked' - when they discovered more than 1500 live turtles and tortoises stashed inside a traveller's luggage. The exotic collection, worth more than ?L70,000 GBP on the illegal wildlife market, was found in Manila duct taped and spread across four bags owned by a passenger travelling from the Philippines to Hong Kong. In total 1,529 live reptiles were rescued. Officers think they were smuggled into the Philippines to be sold on the black market but the trafficker may have panicked after seeing that the penalty was a hefty fine and two years in jail, as the bags were left unclaimed in the arrival area. The reptiles were discovered at Ninoy Aquino International Airport earlier this month. They included red-eared slider turtles along with star, redfooted, and sulcata tortoises, which are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of threatened species. All the animals have been handed over to the Philippines' Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Unit. Last year, the airport discovered 560 items being smuggled for the illegal wildlife trade, including 250 gekkos and 254 pieces of coral smuggled in parcels, baggage and in shipments. Also rescued at the airport this year have been 63 iguanas, chameleons and bearded dragons. Credit - Bureau of Customs PH/MEGA. 20 Mar 2019 Pictured: The smuggled reptiles which were attached with duct tape into the luggage. Photo credit: Bureau of Customs PH/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342

Officials at an airport were left 'shell-shocked' - when they discovered more than 1500 live turtles and tortoises stashed inside a traveller's luggage. The exotic collection, worth more than ?L70,000 GBP on the illegal wildlife market, was found in Manila duct taped and spread across four bags owned by a passenger travelling from the Philippines to Hong Kong. In total 1,529 live reptiles were rescued. Officers think they were smuggled into the Philippines to be sold on the black market but the trafficker may have panicked after seeing that the penalty was a hefty fine and two years in jail, as the bags were left unclaimed in the arrival area. The reptiles were discovered at Ninoy Aquino International Airport earlier this month. They included red-eared slider turtles along with star, redfooted, and sulcata tortoises, which are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of threatened species. All the animals have been handed over to the Philippines' Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Unit. Last year, the airport discovered 560 items being smuggled for the illegal wildlife trade, including 250 gekkos and 254 pieces of coral smuggled in parcels, baggage and in shipments. Also rescued at the airport this year have been 63 iguanas, chameleons and bearded dragons. Credit - Bureau of Customs PH/MEGA. 20 Mar 2019 Pictured: The smuggled reptiles which were attached with duct tape into the luggage. Photo credit: Bureau of Customs PH/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342

Officials at an airport were left 'shell-shocked' - when they discovered more than 1500 live turtles and tortoises stashed inside a traveller's luggage. The exotic collection, worth more than ?L70,000 GBP on the illegal wildlife market, was found in Manila duct taped and spread across four bags owned by a passenger travelling from the Philippines to Hong Kong. In total 1,529 live reptiles were rescued. Officers think they were smuggled into the Philippines to be sold on the black market but the trafficker may have panicked after seeing that the penalty was a hefty fine and two years in jail, as the bags were left unclaimed in the arrival area. The reptiles were discovered at Ninoy Aquino International Airport earlier this month. They included red-eared slider turtles along with star, redfooted, and sulcata tortoises, which are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of threatened species. All the animals have been handed over to the Philippines' Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Unit. Last year, the airport discovered 560 items being smuggled for the illegal wildlife trade, including 250 gekkos and 254 pieces of coral smuggled in parcels, baggage and in shipments. Also rescued at the airport this year have been 63 iguanas, chameleons and bearded dragons. Credit - Bureau of Customs PH/MEGA. 20 Mar 2019 Pictured: The smuggled reptiles which were attached with duct tape into the luggage. Photo credit: Bureau of Customs PH/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342

Officials at an airport were left 'shell-shocked' - when they discovered more than 1500 live turtles and tortoises stashed inside a traveller's luggage. The exotic collection, worth more than ?L70,000 GBP on the illegal wildlife market, was found in Manila duct taped and spread across four bags owned by a passenger travelling from the Philippines to Hong Kong. In total 1,529 live reptiles were rescued. Officers think they were smuggled into the Philippines to be sold on the black market but the trafficker may have panicked after seeing that the penalty was a hefty fine and two years in jail, as the bags were left unclaimed in the arrival area. The reptiles were discovered at Ninoy Aquino International Airport earlier this month. They included red-eared slider turtles along with star, redfooted, and sulcata tortoises, which are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of threatened species. All the animals have been handed over to the Philippines' Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Unit. Last year, the airport discovered 560 items being smuggled for the illegal wildlife trade, including 250 gekkos and 254 pieces of coral smuggled in parcels, baggage and in shipments. Also rescued at the airport this year have been 63 iguanas, chameleons and bearded dragons. Credit - Bureau of Customs PH/MEGA. 20 Mar 2019 Pictured: The smuggled reptiles which were attached with duct tape into the luggage. Photo credit: Bureau of Customs PH/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342

Officials at an airport were left 'shell-shocked' - when they discovered more than 1500 live turtles and tortoises stashed inside a traveller's luggage. The exotic collection, worth more than ?L70,000 GBP on the illegal wildlife market, was found in Manila duct taped and spread across four bags owned by a passenger travelling from the Philippines to Hong Kong. In total 1,529 live reptiles were rescued. Officers think they were smuggled into the Philippines to be sold on the black market but the trafficker may have panicked after seeing that the penalty was a hefty fine and two years in jail, as the bags were left unclaimed in the arrival area. The reptiles were discovered at Ninoy Aquino International Airport earlier this month. They included red-eared slider turtles along with star, redfooted, and sulcata tortoises, which are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of threatened species. All the animals have been handed over to the Philippines' Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Unit. Last year, the airport discovered 560 items being smuggled for the illegal wildlife trade, including 250 gekkos and 254 pieces of coral smuggled in parcels, baggage and in shipments. Also rescued at the airport this year have been 63 iguanas, chameleons and bearded dragons. Credit - Bureau of Customs PH/MEGA. 20 Mar 2019 Pictured: The smuggled reptiles which were attached with duct tape into the luggage. Photo credit: Bureau of Customs PH/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342

Officials at an airport were left 'shell-shocked' - when they discovered more than 1500 live turtles and tortoises stashed inside a traveller's luggage. The exotic collection, worth more than ?L70,000 GBP on the illegal wildlife market, was found in Manila duct taped and spread across four bags owned by a passenger travelling from the Philippines to Hong Kong. In total 1,529 live reptiles were rescued. Officers think they were smuggled into the Philippines to be sold on the black market but the trafficker may have panicked after seeing that the penalty was a hefty fine and two years in jail, as the bags were left unclaimed in the arrival area. The reptiles were discovered at Ninoy Aquino International Airport earlier this month. They included red-eared slider turtles along with star, redfooted, and sulcata tortoises, which are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of threatened species. All the animals have been handed over to the Philippines' Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Unit. Last year, the airport discovered 560 items being smuggled for the illegal wildlife trade, including 250 gekkos and 254 pieces of coral smuggled in parcels, baggage and in shipments. Also rescued at the airport this year have been 63 iguanas, chameleons and bearded dragons. Credit - Bureau of Customs PH/MEGA. 20 Mar 2019 Pictured: The smuggled reptiles which were attached with duct tape into the luggage. Photo credit: Bureau of Customs PH/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342

Officials at an airport were left 'shell-shocked' - when they discovered more than 1500 live turtles and tortoises stashed inside a traveller's luggage. The exotic collection, worth more than ?L70,000 GBP on the illegal wildlife market, was found in Manila duct taped and spread across four bags owned by a passenger travelling from the Philippines to Hong Kong. In total 1,529 live reptiles were rescued. Officers think they were smuggled into the Philippines to be sold on the black market but the trafficker may have panicked after seeing that the penalty was a hefty fine and two years in jail, as the bags were left unclaimed in the arrival area. The reptiles were discovered at Ninoy Aquino International Airport earlier this month. They included red-eared slider turtles along with star, redfooted, and sulcata tortoises, which are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of threatened species. All the animals have been handed over to the Philippines' Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Unit. Last year, the airport discovered 560 items being smuggled for the illegal wildlife trade, including 250 gekkos and 254 pieces of coral smuggled in parcels, baggage and in shipments. Also rescued at the airport this year have been 63 iguanas, chameleons and bearded dragons. Credit - Bureau of Customs PH/MEGA. 20 Mar 2019 Pictured: The smuggled reptiles which were attached with duct tape into the luggage. Photo credit: Bureau of Customs PH/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342

Officials at an airport were left 'shell-shocked' - when they discovered more than 1500 live turtles and tortoises stashed inside a traveller's luggage. The exotic collection, worth more than ?L70,000 GBP on the illegal wildlife market, was found in Manila duct taped and spread across four bags owned by a passenger travelling from the Philippines to Hong Kong. In total 1,529 live reptiles were rescued. Officers think they were smuggled into the Philippines to be sold on the black market but the trafficker may have panicked after seeing that the penalty was a hefty fine and two years in jail, as the bags were left unclaimed in the arrival area. The reptiles were discovered at Ninoy Aquino International Airport earlier this month. They included red-eared slider turtles along with star, redfooted, and sulcata tortoises, which are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of threatened species. All the animals have been handed over to the Philippines' Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Unit. Last year, the airport discovered 560 items being smuggled for the illegal wildlife trade, including 250 gekkos and 254 pieces of coral smuggled in parcels, baggage and in shipments. Also rescued at the airport this year have been 63 iguanas, chameleons and bearded dragons. Credit - Bureau of Customs PH/MEGA. 20 Mar 2019 Pictured: The smuggled reptiles which were attached with duct tape into the luggage. Photo credit: Bureau of Customs PH/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342