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CHANTILLY
During a busy Labor Day weekend at Washington Dulles International Airport, one package arriving from Ghana raised some eyebrows.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents say a traveler arriving from the West African nation tried to bring in 14 Giant African Land Snails with him. The slimy creatures were about the size of a child's fist.
The snails originally from East Africa are believed to be one of the world's worst invasive species because they can severely damage crops.
The snails can grow to be nearly 8 inches long and 4 inches tall. They are illegal in the United States.
The traveler was not penalized, but the snails were destroyed because they were considered a threat.
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Turns out the traveler was actually from Norfolk.
The slime trail led back to Norfolk City Hall.
Am I To Understand..
..that a traveler arriving from the West African nation tried to bring in 14 Giant African Land Snails...AND "originally from East Africa are believed to be one of the world's worst invasive species because they can severely damage crops"...and this "traveler" WAS NOT penalized?
No further questions of why he was bringing them in to the US?
No questions of where he was going to in the US?
Great! Just Great!
Heck of job there Homie Security!!
Not enough snails to turn loose
If they want to hit all of the state "greenbelt" agricultural areas in the U.S. they better hope they are ready to reproduce. If they were covered with slime they were ready. It makes it easier for them to engage in the actual mating process. With more snails, once turned into the fields, they could reek havoc with our food supply! (to the point the great Salt Lake couldn't stop them)
How to...
Do you kill a giant african snail with a giant dose of salt?
Just what DC needs...
...more slugs! Pelosi/Reid may have been trying to get them on a Democrat ticket somewhere.
Tastes like chicken......
Tastes like chicken......
Question
WHY was the traveler not penalized?
Introducing non-native, destructive species can do great harm.
The guy should be tried as a smuggler if not a terrorist.
YA know, Doc...
Normally I agree with you, as you tend to have more of an open mind than the party-favoring posters on the site. However, to answer your question, the person wasn't tried as a "smuggler" if they didn't try to "smuggle" them in. The person (speaking clearly on speculation) could have easily attempted to declare them with Customs upon entry. Then, when the severity of the cargo in question was revealed to them, they most likely just turned it over - no harm, no foul.
You claim your Libertarianism, yet your reaction to this article seems almost authoritarian!
**
Why, Doc? Coyotes bring illegals across the border constantly and nothing much happens to them.
Can't find many restaurants around here offering escargot.
I'm told they are moving slowly.