Live giant snails found in traveller’s suitcase at US airport

Customs officers at a US airport found something wriggling around in a traveller’s suitcase – and it was intended to be eaten.

US airport officials have made a strange discovery inside the suitcase of a traveller from Ghana, West Africa.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) found six live giant African land snails when the traveller arrived at the Detroit Metro Airport recently, New York Post reports. They were immediately seized by the customs officers.

US customs officers found six live giant African land snails in a traveller’s suitcase. Picture: US Customs and Border Protection

According to the CBP, all the molluscs were intended to be consumed, which can pose health risks to humans and the environment.

“Our CBP officers and agriculture specialists work diligently to target, detect and intercept potential threats before they have a chance to do harm to US interests,” port director Robert Larkin said.

“The discovery of this highly invasive pest truly benefits the health and wellbeing of the American people.”

The snails are a delicacy in West Africa and are sometimes also kept as pets. Picture: US Customs and Border Protection

Giant African snails can grow up to 20cm long and about 10cm in diameter.

They can carry a parasitic nematode that can lead to meningitis in humans.

The snails also can eat at least 500 different types of plants, along with plaster and stucco, meaning they can cause significant damage to structures and ecosystems.

They are considered a prohibited pest in the US. They are also prohibited in Australia.

But in some other countries, they are popular for consumption and even kept as pets.

This article originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission