Customs Officers Seized 757 Tarantulas Stored in Cookie Boxes
Jackie Reddy April 05, 2019
757 live tarantulas were seized on Monday by customs officers at a mail depot close to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), reports the Associated Press. The arachnids had been placed in containers and vials which were tucked inside of boxes of oatmeal and cookies that had arrived from Poland.
Hundreds of tarantulas were seized early this week by customs authorities in the Philippines, reports the Associated Press. The discovery of these live arachnids – which numbered 757 in total – was made on Monday by officials from the country’s Bureau of Customs at a mail exchange depot close to Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL).
The spiders were concealed in containers and vials that had been tucked into boxes of oatmeal and cookies. Many of the containers featured air holes, which enabled the tarantulas to survive their journey from Poland.
The collective value of these hundreds of arachnids has been estimated to be 310,000 pesos ($5,900).
Officials later arrested the passenger who attempted to claim the spiders, which he had described in his customs declaration as “collection items,” the news agency reports.
“Philippine wildlife laws prohibit the trading, collection and possession of such spiders, which are popular pets among arachnid enthusiasts, without permits,” the news agency adds.
[Image Source: Shutterstock]
