Briton 'tried to smuggle 1,000 live spiders out of Brazil on aeroplane'

The animals were packed into individual boxes and locked in two cases that had been checked as baggage, a police official said.

The live cargo was discovered on Wednesday at Rio de Janeiro's Tom Jobim International Airport as it was being X-rayed for loading onto the plane, the official said.



He would not name the man or say where his flight was going to but a federal police statement said he could face a fine of up to £1.5 million for animal trafficking. The spiders were taken by Brazil's environmental agency for examination.

Animal trafficking is a serious crime in Brazil and authorities frequently detain people for trying to smuggle live animals out of the country.