Airport staff find 119 tarantulas stashed inside pair of old trainers
Airport staff have discovered 119 live tarantulas hidden inside a pair of old trainers.
The deadly spiders were found as a package went through the x-ray scanner at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, the Philippines on Wednesday.
They were being kept in tiny tubes which were stashed inside some battered old Asics running shoes.
Customs officers noticed the package was suspiciously shaped so opened up the footwear for inspection. They found the individual tarantulas tucked inside tiny plastic vials hidden inside the shoes.
The seized tarantulas, of various different species, were turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Unit on Thursday.
The parcel was declared as shoes by the sender and addressed to a property in the Cavite province.
Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero said they are now coordinating with local officials to find the man whom the parcel was supposed to be delivered to.
He said: ‘Our personnel will sustain their collective effort to protect the country’s premiere airport against all fraudulent attempts to import and/or export endangered wildlife species.’
It’s not the first time staff at Manila have been confronted by a potentially poisonous creature hidden in the post.
Airport officers intercepted 757 live tarantulas inside oatmeal and cookie boxes in 2019, imported from Poland.
On that occasion the haul was thought to be worth around $8,000 if sold on the black market.
Tarantulas are classified as endangered wildlife species in the country. Philippine wildlife laws prohibit the trading, collection and possession of such spiders, but they often kept as pets by enthusiasts, even without permits.
Illegal trading and importation could be penalised with imprisonment of up to six months and fines of up to 250,000 pesos ($4,000).
On another occasion last year, 87 spiders of various species were seized by customs officials in Manila after being found inside canisters.
Earlier this month, airport officers intercepted a python hidden inside a rattan basket and concealed in a parcel bound for the United States.
Inspectors have also reported finding geckos, iguanas, chameleons and bearded dragons since 2018.
The country’s Bureau of Customs said it has turned over 2,152 wildlife and endangered species since 2018, including 250 geckos, 254 corals, and other endangered reptiles sent through air parcels, baggage, and shipments.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.