90 giant African snails ‘intercepted’ at Detroit airport

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CNN — Ninety giant African snails were confiscated by US Customs and Border Protection at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport late last month, the agency said in a news release Tuesday. An “odd odor” coming from a passenger’s bag tipped off agriculture specialists, officials said in the release. The passenger, who was arriving from the West African country of Ghana, was stopped for secondary investigation after declaring fresh food items. Before opening the bag, the passenger declared other prohibited items, including beef skin and fresh peppers, but made no mention of the giant snails, officials said. The African snails – ranging from 3 to 6 inches long – were subsequently seized, according to customs agents, who believed the snails were intended to be eaten. The slimy gastropods can grow up to 8 inches and are considered an invasive species that “could negatively impact our economy,” said Acting Port Director John Nowak, according to the Tuesday release. The snails eat at least 500 different types of plants and can even eat plaster and stucco off houses as a source of calcium, CNN previously reported. They can also pose serious health risks to humans, as they are known to carry the parasite rat lungworm, which can cause meningitis, says the US Department of Agriculture. This is not the first time giant African snails have been confiscated at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. In 2023, live snails were found in the suitcase of a traveler who had also arrived from Ghana.