More Than 3,000 Tarantulas Found Hidden in Socks at Peru Airport, Three Travellers Detained
More than 3,000 live tarantulas have been found hidden inside socks in three suitcases at an airport in Callao, Peru. The discovery was made on November 3, according to Reuters.
The suitcases belonged to two German citizens and one Polish citizen who were preparing to board a flight to Germany. They were stopped while checking in for the flight.
Peru's National Forestry and Wildlife Service, SERFOR, said authorities launched an investigation after receiving an anonymous tip. When officials searched the suitcases, they found between 15 and 22 socks packed inside each one, concealing spiders of different species.
The seizure included tarantulas at different stages of development, from eggs and young spiders to adults, officials said.
Cora Suarez, a wildlife forestry control technician with SERFOR, said the creatures are attractive to collectors because of their colours and size, and above all because they can be intended for collectors.
The three travellers were detained by Peru's environmental crimes police. Authorities said they now face criminal proceedings led by a specialized environmental prosecutor's office.
Security specialist Keith Jeffries said that if there is a market for something, people will attempt to smuggle it, and that such attempts happen more frequently than many would like.
It is not the first time living creatures have been found hidden in socks in travellers' luggage. In August, a 23-year-old man was arrested at Tokyo's Haneda Airport after authorities discovered about 200 lizards packed inside 22 pairs of socks.
