Korean man arrested at Peru airport with tarantulas, centipedes and bullet ants strapped to body

A Korean man was arrested in Peru for attempting to smuggle hundreds of tarantulas, centipedes and bullet ants through airport security.

The spiders that the smuggler tried to bring onboard the plane headed for France on Nov. 8. [SERFOR]

A Korean man was arrested in Peru for attempting to smuggle hundreds of tarantulas, centipedes and bullet ants through airport security.

On Nov. 8, security personnel at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Callao, Peru, noticed an unusual bulge around the 28-year-old man’s abdomen as he passed through the security checkpoint en route to Korea via France.

According to Peru’s National Forest and Wildlife Service (Serfor), the man concealed 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants in small plastic containers and bags taped to his body inside a belt-like bag.

Serfor said the animals were illegally taken from the Peruvian Amazon and that some of the species are classified as endangered or protected.

While Serfor did not specify the charges the man would face, it said that an investigation into the case was underway.

One of the tarantulas that the smuggler tried to bring onboard the plane head for France on Nov. 8. [SERFOR/REUTERS]

Walter Silva, a wildlife specialist at Serfor, said in a press release that the species were "illegally harvested and are part of a global wildlife trafficking network valued at millions of dollars."

Silva said that the prices of such illegal wildlife spike during the holiday season, contributing to a rise in smuggling cases.

Peruvian authorities continue to investigate the incident to uncover further details.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]