This month, German customs authorities said a slime trail led them to a cache of nearly 100 huge African land snails and other things concealed within suitcases at Dusseldorf Airport.
Officials claimed in a statement released on Friday that they discovered one of the snails on a luggage truck and initially mistook it for a toy until it began to move. By tracing the 8-inch snail’s track, they discovered a bag with a hole through which another snail was already peeking, probably preparing to make a break for it.
Officials discovered a total of six bags carrying 93 huge snails, 62 pounds of fish and smoked pork, and a suitcase containing rotting flesh. All were Nigerian imports going for a business selling African items in western Germany.
Customs officers stated that the snails were given to an animal rescue group in Düsseldorf and the meat was incinerated.
“Never in the history of the Düsseldorf customs office has a slime trail led us to contraband,” stated spokesman Michael Walk.
When the invasive snail species emerged in the state of Florida in July, officials issued a quarantine order for one county. The Florida Department of Agriculture referred to the huge African snail as “one of the most destructive gastropod subspecies in the world.” To eradicate an entire population of snails can take years.
Officials in Florida have been deploying highly trained dogs to detect invasive species.