Airport workers check traveler’s luggage, then they find more than 3,000 tarantulas hidden inside socks, ‘some of them were moving’
The passengers were allegedly attempting to smuggle to spiders
A trio of men have been arrested after airport officials in Peru allegedly discovered more than 3,000 tarantulas packed into their luggage. The two German nationals and one Polish national were accused of attempting to smuggle the arachnids out of the country and into Germany by packing the spiders into their socks.
The three men were detained at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima as they were checking in for a flight to Germany. According to an article from Euronews, the men were detained following a tip-off from the public. Customs officers checking the passengers’ luggage then discovered the large quantity of spiders stuffed into socks.
Cora Suarez, a control technician working for Peru’s National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR), said that the spiders were found to be in varying stages of development, from eggs to hatchlings to adults. “We noticed that some of them were moving. There were small ones and large ones.”
A similar incident occurred earlier in 2026, when a man traveling from Mexico to Tokyo was arrested after officials searched his luggage. 200 live lizards were found packed inside his socks.
Tarantulas can be sold for a lot in Europe
Suarez claimed that a single tarantula can be sold for €500 (roughly $560) in Europe, which is where the men were traveling to. According to The New York Post, Suarez also said that tarantulas are popular with collectors, saying in Spanish, “These species are attractive because of the colors, because of the size and, more than anything, because they can be intended for collectors.”
Illegal wildlife products are typically sold on the black market, and according to Interpol, illegal wildlife trade has become one of the “world’s largest criminal activities.” In 2023, the International Criminal Police Organization said that the black market for illegal wildlife products was worth up to $20 billion per year.
“Criminal syndicates trafficking in illegal wildlife products conduct their clandestine operation across international borders, causing incalculable damage to biodiversity and communities in the process,” Rt Hon. Lord Hague of Richmond, the Co-Chair of United for Wildlife, said at the time.
To address exotic animal smuggling, Interpol has since helped to coordinate a global operation to target wildlife trafficking called “Operation Thunder.” The operation led to 4,640 seizures in 2025, as per Euronews.
Following the incident in Lima, the two German nationals and one Polish national were apprehended by police specializing in environmental crimes, according to SERFOR. The organization also said that the men would face criminal proceedings.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
