a large spider sitting on top of a pile of dirt

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Peru Seizes 3,000 Tarantulas Hidden in Travellers' Socks

curiousNov 7, 2026·379 words·3 min read

More than 3,000 tarantulas, from eggs to fully grown adults, have been seized at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru, before they could be flown to Germany. According to Peru's National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR), the spiders had been packed into containers concealed inside socks in three suitcases belonging to two German citizens and one Polish citizen. The Daily Mail reported that the travellers were due to leave for Germany on 3 November and that each sock had been carefully labelled by species.

The news reports do not agree about how officials found them. The Guardian says officers saw something moving in the bags during a normal check. The Daily Mail says someone sent a secret message to Peru's wildlife office. The spiders came from different parts of Peru, and some of them are protected by law. Scientists have not described some of these types yet. One tarantula can sell for about €500 in Europe, so all the spiders together could be worth €1.5 million.

The police have arrested the three travellers. In Peru, smuggling wild animals can mean three to five years in prison, the Daily Mail reported. These spiders look scary, but they are not dangerous to people. Their bite hurts about as much as a bee's. Interpol, the international police group, says the illegal wildlife trade makes about $20 billion every year.

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