BOC Officials Seized Black Ants Smuggled From Poland

Black Ants Smuggled From Poland to Philippines Recovered by Customs

The officials from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized at least live 375 black ants, which were smuggled from Poland.

The Custom officials discovered two packages containing black ants from Poland. The ants have been placed inside a glass test tube with nutrient solution. The two packages arrived in the country on different dates.

According to the authorities, the first package arrived last December 2021 while the second package arrived in January 2022. The officials recorded only one name as the importer and consignee of the exotic insects.

BOC Officials

The importer declared the contrabands as “Lego toys” but the officers discovered that they were specimen tubes filled with ants.

DENR-NCR Enforcement Division-Surveillance and Intelligence Section Chief Maricar Puno-Sanchez received a report that some individuals in the country were keeping those species as pets.

Sanchez said that the ants were kept in an aquarium and the owner would observe them while trying to build a colony.

According to the environment officials, the imported species may cause harm if released on the environment because they were quitter larger compared to local black ants. These species are also described as invasive and can rapidly increase their population in a short period of time.

“Di ba pagka invasive siya usually diba ang bilis din nilang kumalat ang bilis nilang mag multiply kaya lalong mas mataas yung risk,” Sanchez said.

BOC Officials

DENR said that species will be euthanized after the legal process.

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