Topic: Anything to declare?
A British man arrested at Rio de Janeiro airport for trying to smuggle 900 bird-eating spiders out of Brazil, has been named by police as Lee Ardern.
The 26-year-old, who is thought to run a spider shop in the UK, was arrested after security X-rays detected the spiders in two suitcases. Mr Ardern, who has been released on bail but must stay in Brazil, has 20 days to present his defence and ask for the fine to be cancelled. Brazilian police said he did not have authorisation from the Brazilian Institute for Environment and Renewable Resources and he faces a possible penalty of six months to a year in prison. Carlos Magno, from the institute, said: "He said 600 spiders were of a species which is common in Paraguay but does not live in Brazil. "The other 300 were of a sort which is found as much here as there. The only certainty is that they were not created in captivity."
....This has raised some questions such as:
1, WTF?
2, Was this a UK initiative to get rid of the pigeons around Nelsons Column?
3, Was he intending on going into shops and saying "pssst! i got some spiders that have fallen off the back of a lorry, they are going cheap"
4, How did he get them in when i have trouble packing clothes?
5, WTF?
6, "The other 300 were of a sort which is found as much here as there" where the hell is "here" and "there"? because i want to stay well away from that hemisphere
7, Why not drugs or tobacco or booze like ordinary criminals?
8, How did he get them all into two suitcases?....as i remember Bird-Eating spiders are ruddy massive, hairy, fanged things not known for their love of travel unless it involves eating birds
9, What was the X-Ray operator thinking when it came into view? did he/she scream like a little girl and physically wet themselves?
10, WTF?
....This "arachnid episode" has led only to further questions and dilemmas for me to mull through....damn :(