Special delivery: Snakes, spiders found in parcel

[lord jackel]

Ouch...someone is in trouble...and more then likely the breeder that shipped these illegally is going to get into trouble as well. Not to mention the $1000s in destroyed animals (what a shame)

Special delivery: Snakes, spiders found in parcel

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapc...ers/index.html

The label on the package claimed that it contained T-shirts and baby toys.

But when customs officials in Sydney X-ray scanned the parcel, they found instead five pythons and two venomous tarantulas.

On Tuesday, authorities raided the house in Sydney to which the parcel had been addressed. Officials seized evidence but expect to file charges later, the customs agency said.

Importing live animals without a permit is illegal in Australia and can yield a 10-year prison sentence and a fine of 110,000 Australian dollars ($92,000 U.S.).

The parcel was sent from the United States last week, but officials would not say specifically where it had been mailed from.

The snakes were wrapped within white calico bags and the spiders were packed in clear plastic containers, the customs agency said.

The creatures were later killed because they posed a quarantine risk, the agency said in a press release.

[AaronP]

What a shame...and how stupid...no sense and needlessly sending animals to their death just because you want to (poorly) attempt to smuggle them into a country.

[dsirkle]

I have read posts from herpers in Australia. They have said that possession of non native species is strictly forbidden and there is a permit system for the keeping of native species. I'm sure that anyone possessing a snake that is unusual (read rare) in Australia would stand to make a fair amount of easy money and the temptation to smuggle and make a quick buck would be there for many people.

[snakecharmer3638]

Man that SUCKS!!! Those snakes were beautiful especially that Pied.

[Microddot]

Man that SUCKS!!! Those snakes were beautiful especially that Pied.

Yea that sucks. The Pied was great looking.

[mooingtricycle]

i wonder who posted pictures of said Pied on the forums somewhere, if at all... i cant imagine it would be very difficult to ID if you get a few good pairs of eyes looking.....

[Dragoon]

poor snakes, lost some amazing looking animals