On October 30, 2024, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) – Port of Clark intercepted 178 spiderlings concealed in an air parcel declared as “Hairclips” from Indonesia. Upon physical examination, the subject air parcel was found to contain 157 vials of live spiders, while 21 held deceased specimens. The subject parcel bound to Valenzuela City, was flagged for physical examination due to a suspicious declaration by the consignee.

This attempted smuggling of live spiderlings violates Sections 117 and 113 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) in relation to R.A. No. 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.

The seized spiders were immediately turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-PENR)

Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio emphasized, “The BOC’s commitment of preventing smuggling is similarly essential in safeguarding wildlife and maintaining national biosecurity and ecological balance.”

Under the leadership of Acting District Collector Jairus Reyes, BOC-Clark remains vigilant and dedicated to protecting the nation’s borders against all forms of smuggling, including wildlife trafficking.

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