In short
- German customs officers at Cologne Bonn Airport found 37 live venomous snakes and 55 lizards in the suitcase of a 45-year-old Mexican firefighter.
- The passenger tested positive for cocaine and told officers he had brought the animals back as a favour for a Brazilian acquaintance.
- Jens Ahland, a spokesman for the Cologne Customs office, said some reptiles were kept in inhumane conditions and others died during the journey from Mexico City via Istanbul.
- The Cologne Customs office said Germany recorded more than 1,300 seizures nationwide in the previous year involving over 56,600 protected animals and plants or products made from them.
- Six years ago, customs officers at Cologne Bonn Airport found 26 rare reptiles, 10 of them dead, in parcels of toys and sweets sent from Mexico.
German customs officers at Cologne Bonn Airport stopped a 45-year-old Mexican firefighter and found 37 live venomous snakes and 55 lizards hidden in his suitcase, the Cologne Customs office said. The man, who has not been named, tested positive for cocaine and was denied entry to Germany.
What was found in the suitcase?
Customs officers found vipers, rattlesnakes and other snakes, as well as lizards including iguanas — 92 reptiles in total. The animals were packed inside shampoo bottles, cream containers, plastic tubs and balls of socks. Officials said they did not find any drugs in the luggage.
Why did customs officers search the man?
The passenger looked “conspicuously nervous” as he tried to leave through the green, nothing-to-declare exit at Cologne Bonn Airport, according to customs. Officers ran a drugs test on him, which came back positive for cocaine, and then opened his suitcase.
What did the customs office say about the find?
Jens Ahland, a spokesman for the Cologne Customs office, said the airport had never recorded a case like it. “My colleagues at the airport are used to a lot when it comes to souvenirs in suitcases, but we’ve never had 37 live venomous snakes and 55 lizards from Mexico before,” Ahland said. He said some of the reptiles had been held “in inhumane conditions”, and that others died during the journey from Mexico City via Istanbul.
Where are the animals now?
The surviving animals are being looked after at a snake farm in Germany. The man told officers he had brought them back as a favour for a Brazilian acquaintance. He was denied entry to Germany and flown back to Istanbul.
How common is wildlife smuggling at German airports?
“Last year, we had over 1,300 seizures nationwide involving more than 56,600 protected animals and plants or products made from them,” Ahland said. Six years ago, customs officers at Cologne Bonn Airport found 26 rare reptiles, 10 of them dead, in parcels of toys and sweets sent from Mexico and destined for private buyers in Germany.
What has Mexico been dealing with?
Mexican courts have handled other high-profile cases, including the jailing of three men for 158 years each over the murders of three surfers.
In Morelos state, a gang kidnapped three officials to secure the release of a detained member.
Frequently asked questions
How many snakes and lizards were found at Cologne Bonn Airport?
Customs officers found 37 live venomous snakes and 55 lizards, 92 reptiles in total, in the suitcase of a 45-year-old Mexican firefighter.
What happened to the man caught with the animals?
The Cologne Customs office said he was denied entry to Germany and flown back to Istanbul.
Where are the surviving reptiles now?
The surviving snakes and lizards are being looked after at a snake farm in Germany. Customs said other reptiles died during the journey from Mexico City via Istanbul.
How many wildlife seizures does Germany record in a year?
The Cologne Customs office said there were more than 1,300 seizures nationwide in the previous year, involving over 56,600 protected animals and plants or products made from them.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. Airport People — Ashim%20D%u2019Silva / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)
