(12 Oct 2005) SHOTLIST
1. Wide of Philippine Customs Commissioner Alexander Arevalo (wearing glasses) and Ninoy Aquino International Airport customs district collector Ricardo Belmonte inspecting seized shipment of elephant tusks
2. Various of seized elephant tusks
3. Pan of Arevalo and Belmonte inspecting seized elephant tusks in metal cases
4. Close-up of seized elephant tusks
5. Wide of Arevalo and Belmonte inspecting seized tusks in metal cases
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Alexander Arevalo, Customs Commissioner:
"The declaration itself of rough stones made them suspicious. Secondly, the type of packaging it arrived in, considering if it were rough stones, why would it be in metal cases? So, our suspicion is maybe they were thinking that they would not be able to xray this shipment, plus maybe they thought we will not be able to notice their declaration."
7. Zoom in of Arevalo and Belmonte holding and inspecting tusks
8. Close-up of seized elephant tusks
STORYLINE
Philippine customs officials were in a bonded warehouse in Manila on Wednesday to inspect more than 300 pieces of elephant tusks seized on Tuesday by customs police.
The seized elephant tusks, which has a total weight of 758 kilogrammes and an estimated value of more than $US200-thousand, came from two shipments last month. The first shipment arrived last September 16 from Nairobi, Kenya, with 76 pieces of elephant tusks.
Another shipment with 239 pieces arrived on September 25 from Kampala, Uganda.
Both shipments arrived in metal cases and were declared as rough stones.
The packaging and the shipment's declaration made the customs police suspicious of the actual contents.
Customs Commissioner Alexander Arevalo said that they are now going after the Filipino consignees of the shipment.
Trade in ivory was banned under the 1989 U.N. Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species to curb the slaughter of elephants in Africa.
The ban has helped in the recovery of the elephant population in several countries.
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