Wildlife officials said police detained two German travelers and a Polish traveler after finding the spiders in dirty socks inside their luggage; the three face criminal proceedings.
Peru’s National Forestry and Wildlife Service, known as SERFOR, told Agence France-Presse on 5 November that authorities had seized more than 3,000 tarantulas at Lima’s Jorge Chávez international airport. The animals were bound for Germany, hidden in dirty socks inside three suitcases carried by two Germans and a Polish citizen.
SERFOR said police specializing in environmental crimes detained the travelers on suspicion of smuggling and that they would face criminal proceedings. The agency had announced the discovery on 4 November.
An anonymous report through the Alerta Serfor platform prompted intelligence work that identified the travelers before boarding, while the AFP account said agents noticed movement in the luggage during a routine customs inspection.
Cora Suárez, a wildlife-control technician at SERFOR, which is attached to Peru’s Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, and who heads its airport control post, said the animals ranged from eggs and hatchlings to adults. She estimated that a tarantula could sell for about €500 in Europe; the AFP account put the shipment’s potential value at €1.5 million on that basis.
Suárez said the tarantulas came from several Peruvian regions, including Junín, Loreto, Cajamarca, Cusco and La Libertad. The identified animals include Pamphobeteus antinous, a species listed as vulnerable under Peruvian wildlife protections. Preliminary identifications included the genus Pamphobeteus and the taxa Thrixopelma lagunas, Antikuna sp. and Avicularia sp. SERFOR said some specimens need further study to establish their scientific classification.
SERFOR said it suspected the tarantulas were intended for collections, research or keeping as pets. Peru’s Specialized Environmental Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the case, and SERFOR has announced administrative sanction proceedings against those involved.
The federal Stage II pollution controls restrict diesel generators and the burning of coal and firewood, while vehicle checks under Delhi’s separate winter plan have left commuters in queues for hours.
The animals remain in the authorities’ custody during identification and evaluation. SERFOR said they would then be transferred to an authorized breeding center for safekeeping.
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