A shell-fish flyer caught with 23 giant African land snails in his luggage stunned customs officials when he told them he wanted to cook them for his lunch.
The monster-sized molluscs, which can weigh half a kilo each, were found in the passenger’s bags as he went through customs checks in Germany’s Nuremberg Airport on 15th February.
At first officials thought the hand-sized snails were dead but after they had warmed up they tucked into slices of apple.
The snails, which arrived on a flight from Africa, were confiscated and donated to local zoos and breeders.
Ironically, it is not illegal to import African land snails but the passenger’s haul exceeded the maximum allowance of two kilos.
A customs service spokesperson said: “He probably won’t have to deal with a fine.”
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below. Story By: Clive Goodman, Sub-Editor: Simona Kitanovska, Agency: Newsflash
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