Officials examining four suitcases abandoned at an airport in the Philippines found more than 1,500 live turtles packed inside.
The unusual haul was discovered by workers at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport who opened the unclaimed baggage to find each suitcase filled with plastic boxes containing species including “Star Tortoise, Redfoot Tortoise, Sulcata Tortoise [and] Red-eared Slider”, the Manila Bulletin reports.
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The suitcases had arrived at the airport from a flight originating in Hong Kong, and belonged to an unidentified Filipino passenger, the Philippine Star reports.
Authorities believe the would-be smuggler had a change of heart after learning about the penalties for wildlife trafficking.
“The passenger may have been informed of the vigilance of the port against illegal wildlife trade and its penalties, thus leaving the four x-rayed luggage [sic] unclaimed in the arrival area,” the Bureau of Customs said in a statement.
Signs inside the airport warn that smuggling animals is illegal and punishable by a hefty fine or up to two years in prison.
The turtles have been turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Unit for safekeeping, Rappler reports.
The discovery comes a week after officials in Malaysia discovered 3,300 rare pig-nosed turtles hidden on a boat at a southern port. Authorities believe smugglers were attempting to transport the endangered species into the country for sale as exotic pets on the black market, Reuters reports.