'So Big, a Whopping 320 Spiders'... Korean Caught Attempting to Smuggle Recluse Spiders from Peru

Some Are Designated as Endangered and Protected Animals in Peru
High Prices in Illegal Markets... Smugglers Use Various Tactics

A man in his 20s from Korea was arrested at a local airport in Peru for smuggling endangered species, including tarantulas.

On the 15th (local time), the Peruvian Forestry and Wildlife Protection Agency (SERFOR) announced that on the 8th, a 28-year-old Korean man was caught attempting to leave Jorge Chavez International Airport near Lima, Peru, with 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes, and 9 bullet ants concealed.

SERFOR stated in a press release, "The man placed the wildlife in small plastic bags or containers sealed with adhesive tape, then hid them inside a belt-type bag worn close to his body," adding, "The animals were illegally captured from the Peruvian Amazon region."

Airport security personnel noticed suspicious protrusions around the man's abdomen as he passed through the screening checkpoint en route to Korea via France, leading to his apprehension.

Some of the wildlife the man attempted to smuggle are designated as endangered and protected species in Peru. The Peruvian police are investigating the exact circumstances with the suspect.

A Korean man attempting to smuggle wildlife in Peru
[Image source: Provided by Peru Forestry and Wildlife Protection Agency]

SERFOR explained, "Endangered and protected animals are traded at high prices in the black market during the year-end and New Year period," adding, "Smugglers employ various methods to evade security checks."

1865 Lizards, Turtles, Scorpions Seized in Smuggling Attempt

Meanwhile, the Incheon Airport Customs Office conducted a special crackdown on exotic species smuggling from May to October, forwarding 14 individuals who smuggled 1865 lizards, turtles, scorpions, and other animals to the prosecution without detention on charges of violating customs laws.

Among the exotic species seized by customs were rare animals worth tens of millions to hundreds of millions of Korean won, including the Komodo dragon and emerald tree boa, both classified as CITES Appendix I species. The market value of the smuggled animals reached 1.9 billion Korean won. Notably, the Komodo dragon, native to Komodo Island in Indonesia, has no official import records in Korea, and this is the first known case of smuggling detection.

The suspects smuggled these exotic species multiple times from July 2022 to May this year, hiding them in underwear, instant noodle containers, and cigarette packs while entering from countries such as Thailand and Indonesia. Two main perpetrators recruited acquaintances as couriers to evade customs inspections.

They made huge profits by selling internationally endangered species that cannot be traded legally through online cafes and reptile specialty stores. For example, the CITES Appendix I Burmese star tortoise was purchased in Thailand for about 300,000 KRW and sold domestically for over 4 million KRW, more than 12 times the purchase price.