In brief
Airport customs officers discovered the smuggling attempt after noticing the man had an unusually swollen belly, which led to an inspection revealing a stash of 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes, and nine bullet ants hidden in plastic bags taped to his body.
In a shocking incident at Lima's international airport, authorities apprehended a 28-year-old South Korean man attempting to smuggle an astonishing collection of wildlife. The customs officers noticed the man's unusual bulging belly as he prepared to board a flight. Upon inspection, they found that he was concealing 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes, and nine bullet ants, each meticulously secured in small plastic bags masked by filter paper. These bags were tightly reinforced with adhesive tape and strategically attached to girdles wrapped around his torso.According to Walter Silva, a wildlife specialist at Peru's National Forest and Wildlife Service, all creatures discovered were native to Peru's Amazon region, which is currently facing threats due to illegal wildlife trafficking. Particularly alarming is the fact that the tarantulas are classified as endangered species, with their illegal extraction contributing to a massive global trade worth millions of dollars.The man was en route to South Korea, planning to make a stopover in France. Although detained by the Peruvian authorities, the specific charges against him remain undisclosed, as an investigation into the incident unfolds.
