3,000 tarantulas hidden in worn socks: two Germans and a Pole arrested in Peru

Imagine opening a suitcase and seeing a sock move. That is exactly what happened to officers at Lima airport, who found more than 3,000 tarantulas packed into worn socks. The animals were meant to go to Germany.

What happened?

During a check at Lima airport, Peruvian officers searched three suitcases. According to Serfor, Peru's wildlife agency, two Germans and a Pole were about to board a plane with the luggage. They were arrested.

"When we started the search, we noticed that some of the socks were moving," said Serfor employee Cora Suárez.

The spiders came from several regions of Peru and belonged to different species. They were also at different life stages: eggs, juveniles and fully grown adults. Experts moved them into plastic containers, as a video released by Serfor shows.

Why smuggle spiders?

Money. In European countries, tarantulas sell for up to several hundred euros per animal. That makes the illegal trade lucrative for criminals.

It is not the first case of its kind. Earlier reports described a man in Peru who tried to take more than 300 tarantulas onto a plane under his sweater. Customs officers at Cologne/Bonn airport also found 1,500 tarantulas in a supposed cookie delivery.

What's next?

According to the authorities, the two Germans and the Pole now face criminal proceedings in Peru.