Sweaty Socks Spider Smugglers Stopped

Customs officers at  the airport in Lima, Peru found more than 3,000 tarantulas stuffed into dirty socks inside three suitcases bound for Germany. Two Germans and a Polish traveler were detained. Their alleged business plan? Turn their sweaty stockings into a million-dollar spider empire.

There were eggs, hatchlings, and full-grown, hairy heavyweights. An entire family tree, crammed into the dirty socks in their luggage.

The giveaway? The luggage moved. Never a promising development when your cover story is a bunch of dirty hose.

Why spiders? One tarantula can reportedly fetch around $550 in Europe, putting the potential haul at roughly $1.6 million. 

Now all three travelers face criminal proceedings over the alleged wildlife-smuggling scheme.

And somewhere, a customs officer is still deciding whether that paycheck is enough.

Photo Credit: Handout/AFP/Peruvian National Forest and Wildlife Service