MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Customs on Monday said it has seized 900 bags of illegally harvested stalactites and stalagmites in Manila bound for the US.
The cave formations, mainly composed of limestone, were seized at the Manila International Container Port (MICP). The items had no permit.
Customs said the seized items were signed under Major Stone International Enterprise.
Documents showed the cave formations, which usually take hundreds of years to form, were bound for Oakland, California.
The owners of the stalagmites and stalactites are facing charges of violating Republic Act 9072 or the "National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act." – With a report from Noel Alamar, dzMM