Trio suspected of attempting to smuggle 3,000 tarantulas into Germany

By Lutz Faupel

Published on 6 November 2026 - 13:13 GMT+1

Two German nationals and one Polish national have been detained after allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 3,000 tarantulas out of Peru.

During a check at an airport in Lima, customs officers discovered the spiders packed into socks and hidden in their luggage.

The men were reportedly detained whilst checking in for a flight to Germany. According to authorities, the arrests followed a tip-off from the public.

"We noticed that some of them were moving. There were small ones and large ones," Cora Suarez, a control technician with Peru's National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR), said.

One tarantula can sell for around €500 in Europe, Suarez said, adding that the spiders were found in varying stages of development, including eggs and hatchlings to adults.

SERFOR said the suspects were detained by police specialising in environmental crimes and that they would face criminal proceedings.

In November 2023, Interpol said the black market for illegal wildlife products was worth up to $20 billion a year.

Interpol helps coordinate a global operation to target wildlife trafficking known as Operation Thunder, which it says involves police, customs, border control and forestry and wildlife officials from more than 130 countries and regions.

The operation led to 4,640 seizures in 2025, including tens of thousands of protected animals and plants, the agency said.