Mexican Man Caught With 92 Snakes And Lizards Hidden In Suitcase At German Airport
Synopsis
German customs officials stopped a 45-year-old Mexican firefighter at Cologne Bonn Airport after discovering 92 snakes and lizards hidden in his suitcase. The haul included 37 live venomous snakes and 55 lizards, some of which were kept in inhumane conditions.
A Mexican firefighter has been stopped at Cologne Bonn Airport in Germany after customs officials discovered 92 live snakes and lizards hidden inside his suitcase. The haul included 37 venomous snakes and 55 lizards, with some animals found in inhumane conditions and others dying during the journey. The 45-year-old man was attempting to leave the airport through the green channel, which is meant for passengers with nothing to declare. However, customs officers became suspicious after noticing that he appeared 'conspicuously nervous'.
Officials first conducted a drug test on the man, which returned a positive result for cocaine. Although they found no drugs in his luggage, a search uncovered vipers, rattlesnakes, iguanas and other reptiles concealed in shampoo and cream bottles, plastic containers and balls of socks.
Animals Hidden In Suitcase
Jens Ahland, spokesman for the Cologne Customs office, said officers were accustomed to seeing unusual souvenirs in passengers’ luggage but had never encountered such a large collection of live reptiles arriving from Mexico, according to BBC.
Some of the animals had been kept in inhumane conditions, while others had died during the journey from Mexico City via Istanbul.
The man reportedly told officers that he had brought the animals into Europe as a favour for a Brazilian acquaintance. He was denied entry to Germany and sent back to Istanbul.
The surviving reptiles are now being cared for at a snake farm in Germany.
Germany Reports Thousands Of Wildlife Seizures
The incident highlights the challenges faced by customs officials in preventing the illegal movement of protected wildlife.
Ahland said German customs authorities recorded more than 1,300 seizures nationwide last year involving over 56,600 protected animals, plants and products made from them.
Authorities have not disclosed further details about the Brazilian acquaintance or the intended destination of the animals. The discovery has also raised concerns about the risks posed to wildlife when live reptiles are transported in unsuitable containers over long distances.