Man straps 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes to body in smuggling attempt in Peru

Published Nov 18, 2024 • 2 minute read

Closeup of blue glove of wildlife specialist holding onto adult tarantula. Photo by Peruvian State National Forest and Wildlife Service /GOB.pe

A man was busted trying to smuggle hundreds of tarantulas and centipedes out of Peru by affixing them to his body.

Story continues below

The 28-year-old citizen of South Korea was caught trying to leave the country with 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants, all of which were inside Ziploc bags, reinforced with tape and camouflaged in two bands attached to his person, Peru’s National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR) said in a press release.

The unidentified wannabe smuggler was headed to South Korea with a stopover in France on Nov. 8 when customs authorities at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima observed that his stomach area looked swollen, according to the wildlife agency.

He was asked to lift his shirt which revealed two belts adorned with the camouflaged bags containing the creepy-crawlers.

SERFOR specialists recovered 35 adult tarantulas, described as the size of a human hand, and 285 juvenile tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants, all contained in smaller plastic containers.

Story continues below

Wildlife specialists tending to adult tarantulas in plastic containers. — Wildlife specialists tending to adult tarantulas in plastic containers that a man attempted to smuggle out of Peru. (GOB.pe) Photo by Peruvian State National Forest and Wildlife Service /GOB.pe

The specimens found on the man were native to the Peruvian Amazon and the tarantulas are on the nation’s endangered species list, Walter Silva, a wildlife specialist at SERFOR, said in a statement.

“They were all illegally extracted and are part of the illegal wildlife trafficking that moves millions of dollars in the world,” he explained.

Juvenile tarantulas in plastic tubes that a man attempted to smuggle out of Peru. (GOB.pe) Photo by Peruvian State National Forest and Wildlife Service /GOB.pe

The agency believes they were extracted from Madre de Dios, a biodiverse region in southeastern Peru bordering Brazil and Bolovia and which is almost entirely low-lying Amazon rainforest, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Silva added that smuggling cases like these are common around Christmas, when traffickers can set the animals’ prices higher when sold as pets or to collectors.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

The man was arrested, and the Environmental Prosecutor’s Officeopened an investigation into the case.

According to SERFOR, the critters, which were mistreated by being tightly stored and wrapped together, are now safe.

You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.

Create an Account

Join the Conversation

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.