Passenger caught at airport with hundreds of tarantulas
A fearless South Korean traveler has been arrested at a Peru airport for wildlife smuggling.
The 28-year-old man was detained at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima trying to smuggle hundreds of tarantulas strapped to this body.
He had 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants.
Peru’s national forestry and wildlife service say they were likely taken from the Peruvian Amazon.
He was spotted at a checkpoint with what looked like an unnaturally swollen stomach.
The forestry and wildlife service said the tarantulas are an endangered species.
“They were all illegally extracted and are part of illegal wildlife trafficking worth millions of dollars globally,” wildlife expert Walter Silva said.
The man was booked to fly to South Korea via France.
While the centipedes may have been taken for use in medicines in Asia, the exotic pet trade such as for tarantulas is worth billions globally.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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