Thursday 17 July 2014

Sixty-seven giant snails seized at LA airport

15 July 2014 Last updated at 01:30

Sixty-seven live giant African snails have been seized by US customs agents.

The snails, which are prohibited in the US, were found by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspectors at Los Angeles International Airport.

They arrived from Nigeria and were intended for a person in California, said Lee Harty, a spokeswoman for the customs agency.

The molluscs are among the largest land snails in the world and can grow up to 8ins (20cm) long, said officials.

The US Department of Agriculture put the snails in an incinerator after they were inspected, said Harty, because they can carry parasites that are harmful to humans, including one that can lead to meningitis.

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