German Customs Unveil Photos of 1,500 Tarantulas Hidden in Spongecake Boxes
COLOGNE BONN AIRPORT, GERMANY, JUL 14 – Officials suspect the tarantulas were smuggled to evade customs and animal welfare laws; criminal proceedings target the recipient for undeclared import duties and violations, officials said.
- Customs officials at Cologne Bonn airport seized about 1,500 young tarantulas hidden in chocolate spongecake boxes three weeks ago.
- About three weeks ago, customs at Cologne Bonn airport seized 1,500 tarantulas hidden in chocolate boxes from Vietnam after a smell tip-off, breaching animal-welfare laws.
- Customs officials report most tarantulas died en route, indicating a suspected animal-welfare breach, with survivors transferred to an expert handler.
- German authorities have initiated criminal proceedings against the Sauerland recipient for customs and import duty violations following the seizure of about 1,500 young tarantulas hidden in chocolate spongecake boxes from Vietnam at Cologne Bonn airport.
- German customs officials are still assessing the shipment’s value, which will influence potential fines and penalties, three weeks after seizing about 1,500 tarantulas at Cologne Bonn airport.
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Tarantula Find Leaves Customs Officers 'Speechless'
Arachnophobes beware: Customs officials on Monday released photos from a seizure of roughly 1,500 young tarantulas found inside plastic containers that had been hidden in chocolate spongecake boxes shipped to an airport in western Germany. Customs officials found the shipment at Cologne Bonn airport in a package that had...
The customs of the city of Cologne, announced in a press release, this Monday, the discovery of these trafficked animals.
Berlin, Germany. About 1,500 spiders were discovered, in what apparently were packages of cookies coming from Vietnam, by the German customs at Cologne airport (west) this Monday.The spiders were locked in small plastic boxes and were intended for a man resident in the west of the country, against whom criminal proceedings were opened.The package weighed six kilos and had been declared a delivery of cookies.Many spiders did not survive the trip …
About 1500 mygals were found hidden in a cookie package by the German Customs in Cologne. Agents were alerted by the "smell" of the package, which came from Vietnam. The discovery "moulded" customs officers, "attracted to see what some are doing to animals only for profit". - Germany: 1500 mygals found by customs... in a cookie package (Police, justice and other facts).
Many spiders were already dead when customs officials made the striking discovery at Cologne Airport.
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