Shocked airport staff found 119 live TARANTULAS being smuggled through an airport in a pair of old trainers.

The deadly arachnids were concealed inside the battered old Asics running shoes when they went through the x-ray scanner at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, the Philippines on October 28.

Airport officers noticed the suspicious shaped so the opened up the footwear for physical inspection. They found the individual spiders tucked inside tiny plastic vials hidden inside the shoes.

The seized tarantulas of different species were turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Unit (DENR WTMU) on October 29 for proper handling.

The parcel was declared as “shoes” by the sender, named Michal Krolicki, whose recipient was located in Cavite province.

Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero said they are now coordinating with local officials to find the man whom the parcel was supposed to be delivered to.

He said: “Our personnel will sustain their collective effort to protect the country’s premier airport against all fraudulent attempts to import and/or export endangered wildlife species."

Airport officers have also intercepted 757 live tarantulas inside oatmeal and cookie boxes and 87 various spiders inside canisters in 2019, both imported from Poland.

Tarantulas are classified as endangered wildlife species in the country. Illegal trading and importation are penalised with imprisonment of up to six months and fined up to 250,000 pesos.