Customs foils attempt to smuggle lovebirds

Bureau of Customs examiners at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) foiled an attempt by a Filipino passenger to smuggle African lovebirds from Bangkok, Thailand Friday night.

Tess Roque, BOC-NAIA deputy district collector, said that 28 African lovebirds were found in two improvised shoeboxes placed inside a Duty Free shopping bag handcarried by Danilo Alano Trinidad, 44, of Sipac, Navotas. He was a passenger of Philippine Airlines flight PR-731 last Friday.

Trinidad reportedly tried to pass through the Customs lane manned by examiner Basset Lucman after stepping off the PAL flight.

Unfortunately, Lucman inspected his shopping bag and searched beyond the chocolate bars heaped on top of the two shoeboxes, which contained the live birds.

With the discovery, Lucman sought the assistance of the NAIA Veterinary Quarantine Service.

Nilo Crystal of the VQS immediately ordered the birds confiscated and isolated upon learing that it came from Bangkok, Thailand.

Upon questioning, Trinidad said he had brought the lovebirds to be raised as house pets.

Dr. Simeon Amurao, NAIA VQS chief, explained that Thailand, along with Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Turkey, Mongolia, Pakistan, Romania and Russia are known bird flu-infected countries and poultry animals and products from them are prohibited from entering the Philippines.

Amurao led the burning of the multi-colored birds at the Nayong Pilipino complex yesterday.

The VQS and NAIA Customs officials present were given a scare when one of the birds escaped from the shoebox while being transferred to a plastic bag where they will be given a sniff of gas to make them sleep before burning.

The yellow lovebird flew up a tree and rested on one of its branches.

In panic, the officials summoned a group of people engaging in an ‘airsoft’ war game inside the complex to shoot the bird. Two of the group’s players came to the rescue of the airport officials and shot the lovebird.

Amurao said a deeper investigation on the case is underway.