MANILA: Some 1,500 live exotic turtles — some restrained with duct-tape — have been found inside an airline passenger’s luggage, Philippines authorities said Monday, as they vowed a crackdown on the lucrative wildlife trade.
The Philippines is a major source and transit point of wildlife trafficking, according to a 2018 report by the US State Department.
The turtles and tortoises were found at Manila airport on Sunday in the luggage of a Filipino passenger, who had arrived from Hong Kong, hidden among clothes and shoes.
The person fled before authorities could confront him, customs officials said. “We saw the images from the x-ray (machine),” Manila airport customs chief Carmelita Talusan said.
“We never expected it would reach as many as 1,530,” Talusan said.
“Our staff were taking care not to hurt them because duct tape was used to immobilize the turtles.”
Talusan said the matter was under investigation and authorities had identified the passenger, who could face charges of violating the nation’s illegal wildlife trading law, which carry a maximum two years in prison.
The turtles seized were estimated to be worth 4.5 million pesos ($87,000), the customs bureau said.
Among the animals found were the Indian Star Tortoise, classified as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The turtles confiscated on Sunday were likely destined to be sold in the Philippines or smuggled to other countries using false documents, environment officials said.
“It’s for business purposes. Those turtles are expensive. It’s such a lucrative business. There are buyers and collectors who treat them as pets,” environment undersecretary Benny Antiporda said.
“We are stepping up our all-out drive against the black market of endangered species.”
Antiporda added the Philippines would ask Chinese authorities whether they wanted to take back the confiscated turtles which were being quarantined and treated in Manila.
Sunday’s haul was the latest in a series of seizures of smuggled wildlife at the capital’s airport.
More than 50 iguanas were discovered in the luggage of a passenger from Bangkok last month, with some of the animals hidden in water bottles and socks, Talusan said.
Philippines seizes 1,500 rare turtles in luggage
Philippines seizes 1,500 rare turtles in luggage
- The Philippines is a major source and transit point of wildlife trafficking, according to a 2018 report by the US State Department
- The turtles were likely destined to be sold in the Philippines or smuggled to other countries
Dutch couple’s marriage annulled due to ChatGPT speech
- The pair said “I do” and the officiant declared them “not only husband and wife, but above all a team”
- The judge found that they had not actually sworn to fulfil their marriage duties
AMSTERDAM: A Dutch couple had their marriage annulled after the person officiating used a ChatGPT-generated speech that was intended to be playful but failed to meet legal requirements, according to a court ruling published this week.
The pair from the city of Zwolle, whose names were redacted from the January 5 decision under Dutch privacy rules, argued that they had intended to marry regardless of whether the right wording was used when they took their vows.
According to the decision, the person officiating their ceremony last April 19 asked whether they would “continue supporting each other, teasing each other and embracing each other, even when life gets difficult.”
The pair said “I do” and the officiant declared them “not only husband and wife, but above all a team, a crazy couple, each other’s love and home base.”
But the judge found that they had not actually sworn to fulfil their marriage duties — something that is required under Dutch law.
“The court understands that the date in the marriage deed is important to the man and woman, but cannot ignore what the law says.” It ordered the marriage removed from the Zwolle city registry.
