This genius animal trafficker got caught for being to neat with his work. Swiss customs officers spotted six suspicious carefully-packaged boxes on an inbound flight, they perhaps thought they were stuffed with drugs. When officials broke open the cases they in fact discovered a haul of 261 tarantulas. Hit the jump to read the rest of the story.
@WiL
The Mexican red-kneed tarantulas – which are mildly poisonous to humans – grow up to six inches long and live for up to 30 years. The shipment was destined for an unidentified Swiss dealer when it was broken open. Ten of the spiders had died on the flight over from the Dominican Republic. When they later raided the dealer’s home they discovered a further 665 tarantulas and 72 flesh-eating centipedes. The bumper haul could have been sold on the black market for an estimated £10,500 – or 15,000 Swiss Francs. Animals are the third-most trafficked item in Switzerland after weapons and drugs. Nevertheless, customs officials were surprised by the size of the haul. All the spiders have been taken into care at the Federal Veterinary Office.
