Deadly collection of live spiders and snakes mailed in shoebox
A DEADLY collection of live snakes and spiders has been found by border officers who inspected a box that had been labelled “two pairs of shoes” in Melbourne.
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A DEADLY collection of live snakes and spiders has been found by border officers who inspected a box that had been labelled “two pairs of shoes” in Melbourne.
Australian Border Force officers in Melbourne found the creepy crawlies after they X-rayed an international mail package that arrived from northern Europe on March 14.
They then contacted the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
The wildlife poses a biosecurity risk because it can carry pests and diseases that aren’t here, potentially affecting human, animal and plant health as well as putting agricultural industries in jeopardy.
The package included three ball pythons, also known as royal pythons; two hognose snakes; six Wagler’s temple vipers, a venomous pit viper species native to South-East Asia; two Columbian giant tarantulas, five Mexican redknee tarantulas, two Brazilian salmon pink tarantulas and four Asian forest scorpions.
All of the live animals were put down by a vet. All the vipers, scorpions and some of the spiders had died in transit.
ABF Regional Commander for Victoria, James Watson, said: “We are always finding new and unusual things that people are trying to smuggle into the country.
“Whether it be drugs, firearms, illicit tobacco or in this case, snakes and spiders, our officers are well trained to identify anything suspicious coming across the border.”
The DAWR’s deputy secretary responsible for biosecurity, Lyn O’Connell, said 12 million mail items and four million passengers were screened in the 2015-16 financial year, along with the assessment of one million cargo packages.
This resulted in 3500 infringement notices and the uncovering of a range of items that posed a risk to Australian biosecurity, including plants and seeds, fresh fish, dried lizards, frogs and spiders.
“This detection appears to be a clear attempt to get around the rules that are in place to protect us all,” Ms O’Connell said.
“The department works around the clock to enforce Australia’s strict biosecurity border controls.
“Anyone who claims to be an animal lover and conceals reptiles or arachnids in small packages and sends them through the mail does not have the best interests of the animals — or Australia — at heart.”
Authorities are investigating the package’s source