Snakeskin inside suitcase confiscated in Cairo
Posted on: August 14th, 2007 by Emily Welch
Airport authorities in Cairo, Egypt had a surprise waiting for them when they searched the carry-on bags of a passenger recently. The passenger’s bags contained a squirming throng of reptiles. Everything from baby crocodiles, chameleons and snakes were found, all still alive and writhing to escape the confinement of the bag.
Strange readings through the X-ray scan prompted guards to investigate, and among the various scaly beasts, at least one venomous cobra was found.
The 22-year old Saudi passenger pleaded ignorance when questioned by airport security, claiming he was unaware of any illegality regarding the transportation of live reptiles in airplane cabins.
The man’s defense was that he was taking the reptiles to a university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where they could be put to use as experimental specimens. Just to be safe, he told authorities that snakes were often used as pets or to put in jars in shops by Saudi shop-owners.
The man was allowed to board his flight back to Saudi Arabia, albeit without his bag of tricks. The reptiles were turned over to the Cairo Zoo for safekeeping.