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Dutch customs find hundreds of tarantulas in suitcase
Posted by Xeno on October 5, 2012
DUTCH customs have confiscated hundreds of live tarantulas on a flight from Peru after discovering them hidden in a suitcase, officials say.
“Customs at Schiphol airport found 200 live tarantulas and an assortment of other insects including bugs, crickets, grasshoppers and millipedes,” customs officials said in a statement, issued by their umbrella Finance Ministry.
“The animals were collected by a German couple on a recent trip to Peru and were put in plastic containers and tubes hidden in their clothing and shoes,” the statement said, adding that some of the tarantulas were of a type little known to science.
The creepy crawlies have been handed over to Dutch animal welfare authorities for further investigation, finance ministry spokeswoman Lindy van Galen told AFP, saying a criminal case had been opened against the German couple.
“Animals are regularly smuggled from other countries to the Netherlands, but never in this quantity,” she said.
Animals most popular among smugglers were seahorses, Van Galen added.
Between 120,000 and 140,000 passengers pass daily through Schiphol, Europe’s fourth-largest airport.
via Dutch customs find hundreds of tarantulas | News.com.au.
Fred Killer said
I’d have less trouble believing that 19 hijackers did 9/11 using live Tarantulas than snap off plastic knives that you couldn’t actually stab and kill anyone with if you tried.
They’re essentially a blunt instrument in that regard. Only good for slicing, hence the nickname, ‘Boxcutter’. Still scary as hell but with very limited injury potential compared to the metal cutlery given to you with your in-flight meal.
Try to use one as a weapon and you’ll probably do more harm to yourself. They also slip really easily even when locked, depending on the quality.
A live Tarantula on the other hand, (if you’ll forgive the pun), could be thrown ahead to clear an area or shoved down someone’s blouse with the promise that any poison will be sucked out if the victim co-operates.
Anyway, I thought airport security was supposed to be impenetrable these days?
Try getting a sandwich into New Zealand and you’ll be literally hounded by food sniffing Beagles!