Polish and German men held at Lima airport with over 3,000 tarantulas

A tip leads to a luggage search

On Wednesday, 4 November, Peruvian authorities received information that passengers at Lima's airport, the country's largest, planned to carry illegal goods. Inspectors from SERFOR, Peru's National Forest and Wildlife Service, opened the suitcases of the travellers before they could board a flight to Germany. Police then detained the suspects, a Polish man and two German men. Inside the bags, the inspectors found more than 3,000 tarantulas of various species. Some spiders were still in cocoons, others were young, and some were fully grown specimens kept in containers.

Species unknown to science

According to SERFOR, the smugglers made a careful selection to obtain several species, and some of them have not yet been described by science. Cora Suárez, the SERFOR control point manager, said the spiders were at every stage of development, from eggs and juveniles to adults. Suárez added that the spiders came from different regions of Peru. The Associated Press reported that specimens of Pamphobeteus antinous had been identified among them, a species that is one of the largest in South America, threatened in Peru and protected under Peruvian law. Known as blue-legged tarantulas, these spiders live in the rainforests of Peru and Bolivia, and their legs can span up to 20 centimetres.

Possible expert and legal exposure

SERFOR's communiqué said that, according to scientific publications, one of the detained men may be a known tarantula researcher. Peruvian media have suggested that the group included a tarantula expert, since catching such specimens in the wild requires specialist knowledge. The communiqué said the spiders could have been intended for collections, research or as pets. The authorities said illegal transport of wild animals carries three to five years in prison in Peru, and up to seven years when protected species are involved. The reports describe the three men only as detained.

Tourism context and next steps

The case comes as Peru draws more Polish tourists, with Cusco, the Sacred Valley of the Incas and Machu Picchu cited among the attractions, according to Polish media. Those outlets say the men were not sightseeing but were after quick profit, with the spiders expected to fetch a large return on the European market. Polish press headlines frame the risk as seven years in prison, the ceiling the authorities cite for protected species. Once the review is finished, the spiders will be placed in an authorized breeding facility, according to the SERFOR communiqué.