El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia, discovered over 300 smuggled tarantulas, scorpions, and giant cockroaches in someone’s luggage.

The insects were illegally bound for Europe and were discovered belonging to two German travelers. They insisted that the insects were meant to go to Germany for research, but did not have the necessary authorization.

Investigators determined that the insects were collected from northeast of Bogotá in Boyacá, in the municipality of San Luis de Gaceno.

Illegally transporting any species can result in several fines as well as criminal charges – all of which investigators are planning on bringing against the two travelers.

The El Dorado International airport has prioritized finding smuggled items as this is not their first big smuggling bust. They have discovered multiple other cases of people trafficking live species as well as animal parts.

The wildlife trade and the animal black market are booming industries that must be cracked down on in order to protect these species. Airports are a popular smuggling location which is why it is so important that they keep a close watch.

Whether the smuggling involves shark fins, ivory, or live insects, it needs to be intercepted and stopped in order to catch these wildlife traders.

Related Content:

• Meet the Young Woman Tackling the Illegal Wildlife Trade
• The Great Cover-Up: Substitute Species in Illegal Wildlife Trade
• World Bank Estimates Cost of Logging, Fishing and the Wildlife Trade
• Why Wildlife Trafficking is Not Just Immoral But Extremely Unsafe

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