3,000 tarantulas hiding dirty socks, Peruvian airport intercepts smuggling operation

Peruvian authorities told AFP that more than 3,000 tarantulas were seized at an airport in Lima on the 5th and were promptly prevented from being smuggled to Germany.

According to the "AFP" report, Peru's National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR) stated that the tarantulas were hidden in dirty socks in three suitcases carried by two Germans and one Polish national.

The tarantulas were discovered during a routine customs inspection when law enforcement officers noticed something unusually wriggling inside the suitcase. "We noticed some of these things were moving, some were small, some were larger," SERFOR Wildlife Control Technician Cora Suarez said.

Suarez pointed out that these hidden wolf spiders come from many different areas in Peru and are in different stages of growth, from spider eggs, newly hatched spiders to adult wolf spiders.

Suarez claimed that in Europe, a tarantula can be sold for about 500 euros (about NT$10,000). Suarez emphasized that the European nationals suspected of smuggling tarantulas have been detained by police specializing in investigating environmental crimes and will face criminal prosecution.

According to data from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), illegal wildlife trafficking is a highly profitable criminal activity, generating approximately US$20 billion (approximately NT$657 billion) in global revenue every year. This type of illegal trade is also one of the main causes of global biodiversity loss.