Chennai: Customs deport live spiders sent by post from Poland

Photo for representational purpose: Photo: iStock

Seizing a parcel containing 107 plastic vials containing foreign spiders, Chennai Air Customs have asked the postal authorities to deport them back to Poland.

According to the Commissioner of Customs, Chennai International Airport, officials intercepted a postal parcel that arrived from Poland at the Foreign Post Office here.

The parcel was addressed to a Arupukotai (Tamil Nadu) based person.

On opening the parcel, a thermocol box was found in which 107 small plastic vials wrapped in silver foil and cotton were found.

On examination live spiders were found inside each vial.

WildLife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) officials and scientists of the Zoological Survey of India were called to identify the species.

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Based on morphological examination they suspected the spiders to be of a genus Phonopelma and Brachypelma which are CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) listed Tarantulas, native of South, Central America and Mexico.

The Animal Quarantine Officials recommended deporting the spiders in the parcel to the country of origin as the said import is illegal as there were no proper documents.

The spiders were seized and parcel containing the spiders were handed over to postal authorities to deport to Poland the country of origin.

Further investigations are under progress.

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