THE airport customs bureau foiled an attempt to smuggle into the country two shipments from Indonesia, which were discovered to contain “blood python.”
The serpents were declared as “taro chips,” which arrived at Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC) last Friday.
Blood pythons are not venomous but are popular pets because of their coloration aside from being easy to maintain and require no unusual caging or protocols.
The blood python (Python brongersmai) is among those listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora as included in international trade, the CITES said.
The snakes were discovered during an x-ray scanning procedure. The inspector called the customs examiners attention following the discovery.
The six blood pythons don’t have proper import permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
“The Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Unit received the items from the customs bureau for proper care,” Customs Collector Mimel Talusan said.