Three suspected wildlife smugglers have been arrested in Peru after authorities discovered around 3,000 live tarantulas allegedly hidden inside socks in their luggage as they prepared to board a flight to Germany.
The suspects, comprising two German nationals and one Polish national, were stopped while checking in for a commercial flight at Callao airport.
Footage released by authorities showed environmental police searching their suitcases and uncovering numerous plastic containers filled with spiders.
The tarantulas had been concealed inside 15 to 22 socks packed across three pieces of luggage, with each sock containing spiders of different species and sizes.
Authorities found approximately 3,000 tarantulas at various stages of development, ranging from eggs and young juveniles to fully grown adults.
Some of the creatures belonged to protected Amazonian species believed to be particularly attractive to exotic animal collectors.
The operation was carried out by environmental police and Peru’s National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR) following an anonymous tip-off.
Cora Suarez, a SERFOR technician, said the spiders were sought after by collectors because of their colours and sizes.
“These species are attractive because of the colours, the size and, more than anything, because they can be intended for collectors,” she said.
The three suspects now face criminal proceedings led by a specialised environmental prosecutor’s office.
The discovery has once again highlighted the illegal wildlife trade, which involves the smuggling of exotic animals for sale to private collectors and pet enthusiasts.
According to reports, the tarantula trade is a multi-million-pound industry, with hundreds of venomous spiders allegedly smuggled into the United Kingdom and sold as pets every year.
In a separate incident, border authorities previously intercepted a vehicle carrying around 2,000 live tarantulas worth an estimated £70,000 (approximately RM390,000) at a ferry terminal in Birkenhead.
A 35-year-old man, Radoslaw Szymanski, from Coleraine, Northern Ireland, pleaded not guilty to allegedly attempting to import spiders protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). His trial is scheduled for next year.
CITES violations in the UK can carry penalties of up to seven years’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine.
Dr Tim Cockerill, a fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, said spider collecting was a popular hobby in the UK, contributing to a lucrative market.
He also warned that tarantulas’ ability to survive in different conditions makes them particularly vulnerable to being transported illegally.
The Peru seizure was not the first case of live creatures being concealed in passengers’ luggage.
In August, a 23-year-old man was arrested at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport after authorities discovered around 200 lizards stuffed inside 22 pairs of socks in his suitcase.
The haul included endangered Mexican alligator lizards that could reportedly fetch hundreds of pounds on the illegal wildlife market.
