(CNN) More than 1,500 live exotic turtles have been found wrapped in duct tape and packed into suitcases at an airport in the Philippines.

The animals, which had a total worth of 4.5 million Philippine pesos ($87,000), were probably set to be sold, the country's Bureau of Customs agency said in a Facebook post.

They had been smuggled onto a flight from Hong Kong, and were found in four unclaimed pieces of luggage at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Three of the species discovered -- the star, redfoot and African spurred tortoises -- are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) but are frequently sold as part of the illegal exotic pet trade.

The fourth species, the red-eared slider turtle, is commonly kept as a pet around the world.

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