Wildlife trafficking detection and cooperation improved at Manila airports and seaports

Eight of these officers, selected from participants in a Training of Trainers session in January, had the opportunity to test their skills earlier this month during two workshops on combating illegal wildlife trade at airports and seaports in Manila.

Airports and seaports in the Philippines are often the starting point for wildlife smuggling into and out of the country.

Recently, in May 2024, the BOC intercepted a package containing scorpions and woodlice at Ninoy Aquino International Airport bound for Mexico. The package was mislabeled as a “traditionally designed shoulder bag.”

These transportation hubs also face significant enforcement challenges as they serve an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands with an estimated 11,000 native plant and animal species, including more than 6,000 species that are endemic.

The June workshops in Manila for airport and seaport personnel are part of efforts to strengthen law enforcement under the Taking Charge: Strengthening Criminal Justice Response to Wildlife Crime in the Philippines* project.

Using proven course materials and methodologies tailored to entry and exit points, the programme aims to enhance skills in identifying, inspecting and interdicting illegal wildlife products smuggled in passenger baggage and cargo.

“This activity supports us in creating a sustainable training model, which will ensure awareness and capacity building for harmonized and effective control of wildlife trafficking across the country,” said Chief Inspector Elvin Enad, Officer in Charge of the Environmental Protection and Compliance Department of the Customs Bureau.

The June workshops also aimed to promote government-private sector collaboration in the prevention of wildlife crime.

Staff from eight government agencies and seven private sector representatives gathered to learn about wildlife protection policies and legislation, law enforcement protocols, export and import documentation, identification of commonly traded species, common smuggling techniques, and communications and financial data to track criminal networks.

Among the government agencies present were the Bureau of Customs, the Office of Transportation Security, the Manila International Airport Authority, the Philippine National Police – Aviation Security Group and Maritime Group, the Philippine Ports Authority, the Philippine Coast Guard and the National Prosecution Service of the Department of Justice.

Meanwhile, the critical private sector stakeholders involved were the representatives of the Airlines Operators Council of Cebu Pacific, KLM and Emirates. They were accompanied by the Philippine Postal Corporation, a government-owned company.

All stakeholders were based at Ninoy Aquino International Airport and the Port of Manila (North and South Harbor), which annually handles about 31 million passengers and about 250 million tons of cargo and 7 million TEUs.

Participants mapped the process flows at these transportation hubs and identified gaps in detecting and combating wildlife smuggling.

Mr Edgar Allan Nepomuceno, Chairman of the Airlines Operations Council, commented: “This training is a valuable opportunity to learn more about the illegal wildlife trade and allows us to engage directly with government authorities in a different setting. The training provided practical know-how and further encourages us to pass on valuable information to our people on the ground.

Similar trainings are planned in the coming months at the Cebu and Davao airports and the Palawan seaport.