The key facts
- 37 live venomous snakes and 55 lizards from Mexico were seized at Cologne/Bonn airport
- The man tested positive for cocaine, but no drugs were found in his luggage
- He was refused entry to Germany and sent back to Istanbul
Detention at Cologne/Bonn airport
Customs officers stopped a 45-year-old Mexican man who, according to them, looked 'noticeably nervous' as he walked through the green 'nothing to declare' channel at Cologne/Bonn airport. First, he was given a drug test — it came back positive for cocaine — after which his suitcase was searched.
What was found in the suitcase
No drugs were found in the luggage, but there were vipers, rattlesnakes and other snakes and lizards, including iguanas, hidden in shampoo and cream bottles, plastic containers and balls of socks. Some of the animals were dead. Cologne customs spokesperson Jens Ahland said: 'My colleagues at the airport are used to a lot when it comes to souvenirs in suitcases, but 37 live venomous snakes and 55 lizards from Mexico is something we had not seen before.' According to him, some of the animals were kept 'in inhumane conditions', while others died en route from Mexico City via Istanbul.
The fate of the detainee and the animals
The man, whose name was not disclosed, told officers he was transporting the animals at the request of a Brazilian acquaintance. He was refused entry to Germany and sent back to Istanbul. The surviving animals are being cared for at a snake farm in Germany.
Context
Ahland noted that over the past year there were more than 1,300 seizures nationwide involving over 56,600 protected animals and plants or products made from them. Six years ago, customs officers at Cologne/Bonn airport found 26 rare reptiles — 10 of which died — in parcels containing toys and sweets from Mexico that were addressed to private buyers in Germany.
Image source, German Customs
Not all the the snakes and lizards were alive, officials said
