TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - The Philippines is a major source and transit point of wildlife trafficking from Asia to around the globe.
Philippines authorities vowed crackdown on the lucrative wildlife trafficking after discovering turtles in 4 passenger suitcase, AFP reported.
The turtles and tortoises were found at Manila airport on Sunday in the luggage of a Filipino passenger, who had arrived from Hong Kong, hidden among clothes and shoes.
The turtles seized were estimated to be worth 4.5 million pesos ($87,000), the customs bureau said.
Among the animals found were the Indian Star Tortoise, classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Sunday's haul was the latest in a series of seizures of smuggled wildlife at the capital's airport.
More than 50 iguanas were discovered in the luggage of a passenger from Bangkok last month, with some of the animals hidden in water bottles and sock.
Source: Iran Press