More than 1,500 live exotic turtles have been found wrapped in duct tape and packed into suitcases at an airport in the Philippines.
The animals, which had a total worth of 4.5 million Philippine pesos ($87,000), were probably set to be sold, the country’s Bureau of Customs agency said in a Facebook post.
They had been smuggled onto a flight from Hong Kong, and were found in four unclaimed pieces of luggage at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
“The passenger may have been informed of the vigilance of Bureau of Customs against illegal wildlife trade and its penalties,” the Philippine Bureau of Customs agency said, explaining why the luggage might have been abandoned.