Expatriate medical insurance news: Spiders on a plane drama averted
16/11/09 16:47
A British man has been apprehended after trying to smuggle around 1,000 spiders onto a flight from Brazil.
Expat health insurance customers may be relieved to hear eagle-eyed customs officials managed to prevent the spider smuggler from boarding after an x-ray operator spotted the mass of legs in a suitcase.
Lee Ardern, 26, is thought to run The Spider Shop in Cardigan and could now face a fine of up to four million Brazilian Reais (£1.39 million).
An officer from the Brazilian federal police told the Sun Mr Ardern's fellow passengers were lucky the drama had been averted.
"Never mind snakes on a plane - this would have been 1,000 tarantulas on a plane," he added.
Police said Mr Ardern had arrived on a flight from Paraguay where he claimed to have bought the spiders, with the intention of selling them in the UK for £30 each.
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