Exploring this alluring Mediterranean island
In 2008, Australian customs officials confiscated 150 bottles of lubricant that actually contained illegal liquid steroids.
Cow brains are considered a delicacy in Egypt and there is a growing smuggling trend taking place in the country. NBC said customs officials at Cairo International Airport stopped three men from Sudan who attempted to smuggle almost 440 lb (200 kg) of cow brains into the country back in 2012.
Two hundred donkey-shaped cement statues filled with over 1,764 lb (800 kg) of marijuana were seized by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in California. According to NBC Los Angeles, the cargo container seized at Los Angeles/Long Beach port contained US$1.5 million worth of marijuana.
A South Korean citizen was arrested for attempting to smuggle 300 tarantulas, 110 centipedes, and nine bullet ants. The insects, wrapped in ziplock bags and strapped to his abdomen, were discovered during a search, as detailed in a statement. The man, traveling to South Korea via France, was detained by police. An investigation has been opened by Peru's environmental crimes prosecutor. It is believed the insects were taken from the Madre de Dios region of the Peruvian Amazon, and they are now under the care of local authorities.
See also: The world's weirdest heists
A passenger flying to Philadelphia was caught carrying consumer-grade fireworks, knives, replica firearms, and a small amount of pepper spray canisters in her carry-on.
Despite the TSA's strict rules and tight security, a passenger flying from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) terminal 4 on December 15 was suspected of smuggling when the screener saw suspicious items on the X-ray machine. After a thorough search of the bag, they found 82 fireworks, three knives, two replica firearms, and a canister of pepper spray.
The passenger, who was flying to Philadelphia, was interviewed by police while the bomb squad confiscated the fireworks.
Humans can be very creative at times, especially when money is at the end of the road. Even though the likelihood of getting through the security checkpoint with contraband is minimal, it doesn't stop people from trying to smuggle all sorts of things into foreign territories—from drugs to live animals.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg! Click to see some of the most bizarre contraband schemes ever intercepted.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, a California man smuggled 70 pounds (31.75 kg) of meth-soaked clothing–including a cow onesie.
LAX passenger stopped with fireworks in carry-on
Plus other unusual smuggling cases
TRAVEL Crime
Despite the TSA's strict rules and tight security, a passenger flying from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) terminal 4 on December 15 was suspected of smuggling when the screener saw suspicious items on the X-ray machine. After a thorough search of the bag, they found 82 fireworks, three knives, two replica firearms, and a canister of pepper spray.
The passenger, who was flying to Philadelphia, was interviewed by police while the bomb squad confiscated the fireworks.
Humans can be very creative at times, especially when money is at the end of the road. Even though the likelihood of getting through the security checkpoint with contraband is minimal, it doesn't stop people from trying to smuggle all sorts of things into foreign territories—from drugs to live animals.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg! Click to see some of the most bizarre contraband schemes ever intercepted.