Colombian authorities thwart attempt to smuggle tarantulas, cockroaches and a scorpion out of the country

Port police found 232 spiders, a scorpion with seven babies, nine spider eggs and 67 cockroaches tucked in plastic containers. The two foreigners did not have the proper permits to travel with the critters, authorities said.

The district environment secretary for Bogotá, Carolina Urrutia, said that even if the animals are transported for academic or research purposes, environmental authorities must give explicit permission.

Authorities said they will decide whether the creatures will be freed or relocated after examining them, while the two people will be brought to justice and could face a fine.

Close to 3,500 shark fins and 258 pounds of fishes’ swim bladders that were going to be taken to Hong Kong were seized in September at the airport, one of the biggest seizures of recent years. Colombia, a country rich in biodiversity, is a common target for wildlife traffickers.

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