ZAMBOANGA CITY – Authorities have seized a Manila-bound shipment of dried seahorses at the Zamboanga International Airport (ZIA), a police official said Wednesday.
Major Sharwin Concha, Philippine National Police (PNP) Aviation Security Unit-9 chief, said the shipment packed in three boxes was confiscated Tuesday at the ZIA cargo section.
Before the seizure, he said Staff Sergeant Albasir Kairan of the PNP aviation security group coordinated with Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Fishery Quarantine Officer Remelyn Atilano to inspect the boxes, suspicious of the contents.
Upon inspection, the boxes, shipped through a courier, were found to contain dried seahorses contrary to what was declared on the bill of lading as assorted barter trade goods.
Concha said the cargo weighed 46 kilograms with an estimated worth of PHP600,000.
The confiscated cargo was turned over to BFAR-9 for safekeeping, followed by the issuance of a notice of violation for the filing of appropriate cases against the owner of the confiscated items.
The gathering and selling of seahorses violate the Philippine Fisheries Code and Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.
Dried seahorse is used as a component in traditional Chinese medicine as a possible cure for asthma and skin diseases, among others. (PNA)
