by Donald Wood
Last updated: 2:08 PM ET, Wed July 12, 2017
Employees at John F. Kennedy International Airport's mail inspection facility discovered five juvenile king cobras and three geckos hidden inside a package last month.
According to CBS New York, Customs and Border Protection inspectors working at the New York City airport were inspecting a package of express mail from Hong Kong on June 29 when employees discovered something odd in the container.
While the contents of the package were listed as a plastic tray, inspectors X-rayed the container and saw what looked to be snakes inside. Customs and Border Protection agents called on the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to help assess the situation.
"Our CBP officers perform numerous daily tasks to protect the United States from potential dangers," Customs and Border Protection director of New York Field Operations Leon Hayward told CBS New York. "This seizure demonstrates our wide-ranging responsibility in protecting our borders and our partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service."
[READMORE]READ MORE: Man Caught Smuggling Gold in Rectum at Indian Airport[/READMORE]
Once Fish and Wildlife Service officers arrived, they opened the package and discovered a Styrofoam casing with rows of holes which allowed the snakes and geckos to survive the journey.
The Fish and Wildlife Service confiscated the animals and is conducting a formal investigation into the incident.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
