Latest news with #HaupzollamtKoeln
CTV News
19 hours ago
- CTV News
German customs officials show images of tarantulas hidden in spongecake boxes after smuggling bust
This photo dated June 18, 2025, and provided by the main customs office Cologne, shows plastic containers holding young tarantulas that had been hidden in chocolate sponge-cake boxes shipped to Cologne Bonn airport, western Germany. (Haupzollamt Koeln via AP) BERLIN — Arachnophobes beware: Customs officials on Monday released photos from a seizure of roughly 1,500 young tarantulas found inside plastic containers that had been hidden in chocolate spongecake boxes shipped to an airport in western Germany. Customs officials found the shipment at Cologne Bonn airport in a package that had arrived from Vietnam, tipped off by a 'noticeable smell' that didn't resemble the expected aroma of the seven kilograms (about 15 pounds) of the confectionery treats, Cologne customs office spokesman Jens Ahland said. 'My colleagues at the airport are regularly surprised by the contents of prohibited packages from all over the world, but the fact that they found around 1,500 small plastic containers containing young tarantulas in this package left even the most experienced among them speechless,' Ahland said in a statement. Ahland hailed an 'extraordinary seizure,' but one that 'saddens us to see what some people do to animals purely for profit.' Many of the eight-legged creatures didn't survive the trip, in a suspected violation of German animal-welfare rules, while survivors were given to the care of an expert handler, the office said. Reached by phone, Ahland said that the estimated value of the shipment was being assessed. Criminal proceedings are underway against the intended recipient in the Sauerland region, east of the airport, in part for alleged violations of failure to pay the proper import duties and make the proper customs declarations, the office said. The tarantulas were discovered about three weeks ago, but the customs office only made the images public on Monday. The Associated Press
The Star
20 hours ago
- The Star
German customs officials find 1,500 tarantulas hidden in biscuit packaging from Vietnam
This photo dated June 18, 2025 and provided by the main customs office Cologne, shows plastic containers holding young tarantulas that had been hidden in chocolate sponge-cake boxes shipped to Cologne Bonn airport, western Germany. (Haupzollamt Koeln via AP) COLOGNE: German customs authorities have found some 1,500 tarantulas concealed within biscuit packaging at Cologne/Bonn Airport during a seizure that took place about three weeks ago. Cologne customs spokesman Jens Ahland said on Monday (July 14) the package, which came from Vietnam, had a "distinctive smell" that did not match the declared 7 kilogrammes of biscuits. Crammed into small plastic containers and hidden in biscuit packaging, the tarantulas were apparently intended for a recipient in the western German Sauerland region. "My colleagues at the airport are regularly surprised by prohibited package contents from all over the world, but finding around 1,500 small plastic containers with young tarantulas in this package left even the most experienced among them speechless," Ahlands said in a statement. Ahland said it was an "extraordinary seizure," but it had saddened authorities to see what some people do to animals for profit. A number of the animals had died, while the remaining living spiders were handed over to specialists. A criminal investigation had been launched, as animals of any kind must be declared to customs and import duties paid for parcels sent from a non-EU member state. - dpa
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
1,500 tarantulas found in cake boxes at German airport: custom officers ‘speechless'
German customs authorities have found some 1,500 tarantulas concealed within chocolate sponge cake boxes at Cologne/Bonn Airport during a seizure. Cologne customs spokesman Jens Ahland said on Monday that the package, which came from Vietnam, had a 'distinctive smell' that did not match the declared 7kg (15lbs) of cakes. Crammed into small plastic containers and hidden in cake packaging, the venomous spiders were apparently intended for a recipient in the western German Sauerland region. 'My colleagues at the airport are regularly surprised by prohibited package contents from all over the world, but finding around 1,500 small plastic containers with young tarantulas in this package left even the most experienced among them speechless,' Ahland said in a statement. Ahland said it was an 'extraordinary seizure', but it had saddened authorities to see what some people do to animals for profit. A number of the animals had died, while the remaining living spiders were handed over to specialists. The chocolate sponge-cake boxes the tarantulas were shipped in to Cologne Bonn airport, western Germany. Photo: Haupzollamt Koeln/AP Ahland said that the estimated value of the shipment was being assessed.
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- South Wales Argus
German customs officials find tarantulas hidden in spongecake boxes
Customs officials found the shipment at Cologne Bonn airport in a package that had arrived from Vietnam, tipped off by a 'noticeable smell' that did not resemble the expected aroma of the confectionery treats, Cologne customs office spokesman Jens Ahland said. 'My colleagues at the airport are regularly surprised by the contents of prohibited packages from all over the world, but the fact that they found around 1,500 small plastic containers containing young tarantulas in this package left even the most experienced among them speechless,' Mr Ahland said in a statement. Plastic containers holding young tarantulas (Haupzollamt Koeln via AP) Mr Ahland hailed an 'extraordinary seizure,' but one that 'saddens us to see what some people do to animals purely for profit'. Many of the eight-legged creatures did not survive the trip, in a suspected violation of German animal-welfare rules, while survivors were given to the care of an expert handler, the office said. Mr Ahland said that the estimated value of the shipment was being assessed. Criminal proceedings are under way against the intended recipient in the Sauerland region, east of the airport, in part for alleged violations of failure to pay the proper import duties and make the proper customs declarations, the office said. The tarantulas were discovered about three weeks ago, but the customs office only made the images public on Monday.
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Glasgow Times
German customs officials find tarantulas hidden in spongecake boxes
Customs officials found the shipment at Cologne Bonn airport in a package that had arrived from Vietnam, tipped off by a 'noticeable smell' that did not resemble the expected aroma of the confectionery treats, Cologne customs office spokesman Jens Ahland said. 'My colleagues at the airport are regularly surprised by the contents of prohibited packages from all over the world, but the fact that they found around 1,500 small plastic containers containing young tarantulas in this package left even the most experienced among them speechless,' Mr Ahland said in a statement. Plastic containers holding young tarantulas (Haupzollamt Koeln via AP) Mr Ahland hailed an 'extraordinary seizure,' but one that 'saddens us to see what some people do to animals purely for profit'. Many of the eight-legged creatures did not survive the trip, in a suspected violation of German animal-welfare rules, while survivors were given to the care of an expert handler, the office said. Mr Ahland said that the estimated value of the shipment was being assessed. Criminal proceedings are under way against the intended recipient in the Sauerland region, east of the airport, in part for alleged violations of failure to pay the proper import duties and make the proper customs declarations, the office said. The tarantulas were discovered about three weeks ago, but the customs office only made the images public on Monday.
