German customs officials show images of tarantulas hidden in spongecake boxes after smuggling bust
Customs officials found the shipment at Cologne Bonn airport in a package that had arrived from Vietnam, tipped off by a 'noticeable smell' that didn't resemble the expected aroma of the 7 kilograms (about 15 pounds) of the confectionery treats, Cologne customs office spokesman Jens Ahland said.
'My colleagues at the airport are regularly surprised by the contents of prohibited packages from all over the world, but the fact that they found around 1,500 small plastic containers containing young tarantulas in this package left even the most experienced among them speechless,' Ahland said in a statement.
Ahland hailed an 'extraordinary seizure,' but one that 'saddens us to see what some people do to animals purely for profit.'
Many of the eight-legged creatures didn't survive the trip, in a suspected violation of German animal-welfare rules, while survivors were given to the care of an expert handler, the office said. Reached by phone, Ahland said that the estimated value of the shipment was being assessed.
Criminal proceedings are underway against the intended recipient in the Sauerland region, east of the airport, in part for alleged violations of failure to pay the proper import duties and make the proper customs declarations, the office said.
The tarantulas were discovered about three weeks ago, but the customs office only made the images public on Monday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Video shows El Paso man allegedly abusing dog; charges follow
A man already jailed on unrelated charges is now facing two counts of animal cruelty after authorities reviewed video footage that allegedly shows him physically abusing a small dog. Charles Lee Lipscomb III, 47, was identified by the El Paso County Sheriff's Office after deputies received the footage on Friday, Aug. 1. Although the video is believed to have been recorded about a year earlier, investigators acted swiftly to secure warrants for cruelty to non-livestock animals, according to Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Priscilla I. Contreras. Investigators identified the suspect as Lipscomb and secured two warrants for cruelty to non-livestock animals. He was re-booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility in Downtown with a total bond set at $15,000. He was initially arrested on May 27 for aggravated assault, according to jail records. The dog is reported to be in good health and has been returned to its rightful owner, the news release stated. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges may be filed. 'There is no excuse for abusing a defenseless animal,' Sheriff Oscar Ugarte said. 'We will continue to hold offenders accountable.' More: Man sought in Wells Fargo ATM fraud thefts across El Paso This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso animal cruelty suspect caught on video, re-booked in jail Solve the daily Crossword
7 hours ago
Airport drug bust: Passenger caught with 59 pounds of marijuana bound for Europe, authorities say
A Las Vegas woman was caught trying to smuggle marijuana worth nearly a quarter of a million dollars through Washington Dulles International Airport on Sunday, authorities said. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers said they found more than 59 pounds of marijuana in the luggage of Aleshia Anne Pinheiro, 42, of Las Vegas, as she attempted to board a flight to Frankfurt, Germany. Police arrested Pinheiro and charged her with transporting a controlled a substance into Virginia and possession with intent to distribute -- both felonies. Authorities said they made the the discovery when customs officers were checking bags going onto the Germany-bound flight. They found several sealed packages stuffed inside two hard suitcases, the CBP said in a news release. After finding Pinheiro's name on the bags' tags, officers stopped her at the gate before she could board and took her to their inspection area for a closer look, the agency said. Officers found 50 sealed packages in the suitcases, according to the CBP. Tests showed the packages contained marijuana — about 59 pounds in total, according to the release. While the drugs were worth around $240,000 in the U.S., they could have sold for up to three times more in Europe, the CBP said. Customs officials said they're seeing more cases of criminal groups trying to send marijuana to Europe, where they can make big money selling it. Even though some U.S. states have made marijuana legal, possessing and transporting marijuana between states or out of the country remains illegal under federal law. "Anyone considering making a quick buck by carrying bulk marijuana loads for drug trafficking organizations should realize that the consequences you face can be severe when Customs and Border Protection officers catch you," Christine Waugh, area port director for CBP's Area Port of Washington, D.C., said in the press release. "CBP will continue to seize these marijuana loads to deprive transnational criminal organizations of illicit revenue, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold drug mules accountable." Last year, U.S. Customs officers seized an average of 1,571 pounds of illegal drugs daily at airports, seaports and border crossings across the country, according to the CBP.
CBS News
9 hours ago
- CBS News
Carriage horse collapses in NYC's Hell's Kitchen
A carriage horse collapsed in Hell's Kitchen Tuesday afternoon. It happened at around 3 p.m. at 51st Street and 11th Avenue. Video from the scene shows the horse on the ground, apparently deceased. Workers dragged the animal into a trailer. Witnesses told CBS News New York the horse collapsed and started shaking. The horse, carriage, and driver all fell into the street, witnesses said. The incident comes amid an ongoing citywide discussion about the use of carriage horses. Just last month, carriage horse handler Ian McKeever was found not guilty in an animal abuse trial after the carriage horse Ryder collapsed in Hell's Kitchen in 2022. Check back soon for more on this developing story.
