The Bureau of Customs – Port of Clark, through its intensified anti-smuggling measures, discovered four live bearded dragons inside a shipment declared as “Tupperware” from Malaysia.
The subject shipment arrived on Jan. 27, 2022, and was subjected to x-ray scanning which revealed suspicious images that prompted the conduct of 100% physical examination that led to the findings of two female and two male live bearded dragons contained in plastic containers.
The said misdeclared bearded dragons were imported without the required Sanitary & Phytosanitary Certificate and Veterinary Health Certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) which violates Section 118 (g), 119 (f), 1113 (l, j), and 1400 of R.A. No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and R.A. No. 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.
On Jan. 27, 2022, the confiscated bearded dragons were turned over to DENR for rehabilitation and care.
District Collector Alexandra Lumontad stressed that the Port of Clark will remain consistent in protecting the borders against the importation of smuggled wildlife species to aid in the prevention of illegal wildlife trade in the country. (BOC PR) – bny
