Philippine police have seized 1,529 live turtles wrapped in duct tape inside suitcases abandoned at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
In a facebook post, the country's Bureau of Customs agency said the animals, which have a total worth of 4.5 million Philippine pesos (around AED 319,572), were smuggled onto a flight from Hong Kong.
Officials found the reptiles in four unclaimed pieces of luggage at the airport.
The Philippines has strict laws against illegal wildlife trafficking, with two-year jail term and a fine of 200,000 pesos handed to smugglers.
British PM Starmer to send four Typhoon jets to Qatar
Bombing of Tehran intensifies as war enters day six
Azerbaijan vows to respond after four injured by Iranian drones
72 killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon as it warns residents to leave south
