US Customs and Border Protection officials seized ninety giant African snails from a passenger arriving from Ghana at Detroit Metropolitan Airport last month.
Agriculture specialists at the airport detected an unusual odor emanating from the passenger’s bag, prompting a secondary inspection after the traveler had declared fresh food items.
The passenger reportedly declared other prohibited items like beef skin and fresh peppers but did not declare the giant snails.
Believing the snails were intended for consumption, customs agents confiscated them. The snails, ranging from three to six inches in length, are considered a delicacy in many West African countries but are classified as invasive in the US and other Western nations.
According to a previous CNN report, these gastropods consume over 500 types of plants and can even consume plaster and stucco from buildings for calcium.
The US Department of Agriculture warns that giant African snails can pose serious health risks to humans, as they may carry the rat lungworm parasite, which can lead to meningitis.
This incident follows a similar one in 2023 when live giant African snails were discovered in the luggage of another traveler arriving from Ghana at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.