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Over 3,000 tarantulas were found stuffed in socks in luggage at Peru airport
Fox News • • world
Key Points:
- Over 3,000 tarantulas of various species and developmental stages were found hidden inside socks packed in the luggage of three travelers at Callao airport in Peru, who were preparing to fly to Germany.
- The travelers, two Germans and one Polish citizen, were detained by Peru's environmental crimes police and now face criminal proceedings led by a specialized environmental prosecutor's office.
- Authorities launched the investigation after an anonymous tip, revealing that the tarantulas were concealed inside 15 to 22 socks per suitcase, likely intended for collectors due to their color and size.
- Experts note that wildlife smuggling is often driven by the market value of exotic animals, with airport security primarily focused on aviation threats rather than wildlife trafficking.
- This incident follows similar discoveries, such as 200 lizards hidden in socks at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, highlighting the ongoing challenge of detecting smuggled wildlife in travelers' luggage.
