A total of 1,529 live turtles placed inside 4 pieces of luggage were found at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Sunday.
The said pieces of luggage arrived in the Philippines on board a Philippine Airlines flight from Hong Kong.
The Customs Bureau said on Facebook that the seized exotic turtles include live species of Star Tortoise, Redfoot Tortoise, Sulcata Tortoise, Red-eared Slider.
Customs district collector Carmelita Talusan said that the turtles and the pieces of baggage were abandoned by an unidentified Filipino passenger.
Talusan also told ABS-CBN news that the Bureau of Customs are coordinating with the airline and airport staff to identify the passenger who left the bags filled with turtles
The sea creatures, which were individually wrapped with packaging tape, has since been turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources wildlife monitoring unit.
Talusan said trading of turtles is prohibited under Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.
