(WHDH) — Customs agents at one of the busiest airports in America recently busted a man who had 22 giant African snails stuffed inside one of his bags, officials said.
Agents conducting a baggage examination at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday discovered the highly-invasive critters, which are “one of the most damaging snails in the world,” the United States Customs and Border Protection said in a news release.
The snails are known to consume at least 500 types of plants, cause extensive damage to tropical and sub-tropical environments, and cause structural damage to plaster and stucco structures. They can also reproduce rapidly and lay 1,200 eggs in a single year.
Officials say the snails also carry a parasitic nematode that can lead to meningitis in humans.
The traveler was also reportedly caught with prohibited ox tail, dried beef, turkey berry, carrot, medicinal leaves and prekese, a traditional African spice and medicinal plant product.
It’s not clear if the traveler is facing charges.
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