Chennai Air Customs seized live spiders in a postal parcel that arrived from Poland at the Foreign Post Office on Friday.
The parcel, addressed to a person in Arupukotai (Tamil Nadu), was intercepted on suspicion of containing some arthropod/invertebrate species. On opening the parcel a thermocol box containing 107 small plastic vials wrapped in silver foil and cotton were found. On examination crawling spiders were found inside each vial.
Wild Life Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) officials & scientist of Zoological Survey of India (SRC) were called to identify the species. Based on morphological examination they suspected the spiders to be of Genus Phonopelma and Brachypelma which are CITES listed Tarantulas, native of South, Central America and Mexico.
The spiders were seized under the Customs Act 1962 read with FT (D&R) Act.
Customs officials said that the import was illegal as there was no DGFT license and health related documents for importing to India.
The Animal Quarantine Officials recommended the spiders to be deported back to Poland, the country of origin and the parcel has been handed over to the postal authorities.
Chennai Air Customs said that further investigations are under progress.
