The key facts

  • More than 3,000 tarantulas, including adults, spiderlings, and eggs, were seized at Jorge Chávez Airport in Lima
  • The luggage belonged to two German citizens and one Polish citizen flying to Germany
  • The potential value of the shipment was estimated at more than €1.5 million

The spiders were spotted during a baggage inspection

At Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, customs officers detained three men who were attempting to smuggle more than 3,000 tarantulas to Germany, hidden in dirty socks inside their bags. This was reported by Gazeta.Ru, citing The Guardian.

What was found in the socks

Suspicion arose during the inspection: staff noticed strange movement inside the bags and decided to check their contents. The socks contained thousands of live spiders of various sizes — adults, tiny spiderlings, and even eggs. According to the publications, the spiders had been collected across Peru and prepared for illegal transport to Europe.

Who was detained and what they face

The luggage belonged to two German citizens and one Polish citizen. The suspects face criminal prosecution for illegal wildlife trafficking. Experts cited in the reports estimate the value of a single tarantula on the European market at €500, putting the potential value of the entire shipment at more than €1.5 million.

A similar case a month earlier

Gazeta.Ru recalls that earlier, another man attempted to pass through airport security with a suitcase stuffed with venomous snakes. That was a separate incident, unrelated to the detention in Lima.