Authorities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 intercepted 50 Indian Star Tortoises from a Malaysian traveler who smuggled the live reptiles from Bangkok, Thailand, on June 12, 2026. Bureau of Customs (BOC) officials said the interception began when personnel conducted a routine x-ray screening of the passenger’s luggage and detected suspicious contents.

Vergara, B. (2026, June 14). 50 smuggled Indian star tortoises seized at NAIA. The Manila Times, p. A9.