Smugglers caught with suitcases full of tarantulas in Peru

Last updated: November 06, 2026 | 02:39

Handout picture released by the Peruvian National Forest and Wildlife Service (SERFOR) shows workers and police handling seized tarantulas during an operation at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima on November 5, 2026. AFP-HANDOUT

More than 3,000 tarantulas were seized at an airport in Lima before the furry crawlers could be smuggled to Germany, Peruvian authorities told AFP on Thursday.

The spiders were hidden in dirty socks contained in three suitcases carried by two Germans and a Polish citizen, according to the National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR).

During a routine customs inspection, agents noticed some unusual wriggling inside the luggage.

"We noticed that some of them were moving. There were small ones and large ones," said Cora Suarez, a SERFOR wildlife control technician.

Just one tarantula can sell for around 500 euros in Europe, Suarez said.…