Chennai, July 3: In a bizarre incident, as many as 107 spiders were found by the customs officials in a parcel at the Chennai airport. The spiders are reported to have come in a postal parcel inside a thermacol box from Poland.  The spiders were found after the Chennai air customs intercepted the postal parcel that arrived from Poland at the Foreign Post Office. According to a report by TOI, the parcel was addressed to a person in Arupukottai, a town in Virudhunagar district in Tamil Nadu. The spiders were seized under the Customs Act, 1962, read with the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992. New Jumping Spider Species From Maharashtra: Name ‘Icius Tukarami’ Dedicated to ASI Tukaram Omble, ‘Phintella Cholkei’ to Kamlesh Cholke.

The report informs that when the officials cut the parcel, it had a thermocol box that had 107 small plastic vials. The vials were wrapped in silver foil and cotton. When the officials at the airport examined the content inside the vials, they found live spiders inside each vial. Soon after, officials of Wild Life Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and scientists of Zoological Survey of India's southern region centre in Chennai were called to identify the species.

Hundreds of Spiders Found in Small Plastic Vials Inside Air Parcel From Poland: See Pics

The TOI report stated that based on the morphological examination of the spiders, the experts were of the opinion that the spiders are of genus phonopelma and brachypelma, which are native to south, central America, and Mexico.

Moreover, the animal quarantine officials recommended deporting the spider parcel back to Poland as the import was illegal as there were no Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) license and health-related documents for import into India. The TOI report informs that the parcel with 107 spiders were handed over to postal authorities to be sent back to Poland.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 03, 2021 12:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).