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Colombian authorities confiscated hundreds of spiders that were being smuggled to Germany by smugglers on Thursday.
Bogota Environment Ministry reported that two Germans were apprehended at Bogota’s El Dorado International Airport. The Germans included 232 tarantulas, a scorpion with seven offspring and nine spider eggs.
The containers were carried in a suitcase.
Authorities found that although the two claimed that they were transporting animals for academic purposes, they did not have permission to do so.
According to a ministry statement, the arthropods were found in Boyaca’s San Luis de Gaceno municipality.
The ministry published a YouTube video and photos of the alleged smugglers facing the camera.
“This is only the second instance in less than three month of wild animals being seized at El Dorado Airport. We have already found more than 11,000 specimens in the city during this year. Bogota’s environment secretary Carolina Urrutia stated that wild animals are better off at home and free once again.” In a tweet, she said that the city has already recovered more than 11,000 specimens.
The animals were taken to a government centre where experts evaluated the find and determined whether they could be released.
Two Germans and one Polish were arrested earlier this year for allegedly carrying nine tarantula samples out of Colombia.
Sean Sinico edits.
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