Live giant African snails found in luggage at Detroit airport

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) found six live giant African snails inside a piece of luggage at the Detroit Metro Airport. 

The snails, which were found inside the suitcase of a traveler who had arrived from Ghana, were all meant to be eaten, according to a statement by the CBP. 

“Our CBP officers and agriculture specialists work diligently to target, detect, and intercept potential threats before they have a chance to do harm to U.S. interests,” said Port Director Robert Larkin. “The discovery of this highly invasive pest truly benefits the health and well-being of the American people.”

Giant African snails can pose health risks to humans and the environment because they can carry a parasitic nematode that can cause meningitis in humans. Additionally, the snails can cause significant damage to the ecosystem because they can eat more than 500 types of plants and can cause structural damage to plaster and stucco structures. 

The snails, which can grow larger than the size of a human fist also multiply quickly, producing more than 1,200 eggs or more a year, and have no natural predators in the U.S.

Because of the potential hazards they pose, Giant African snails are considered a pest and are prohibited in the U.S. The snails were first found in the country in southern Florida in the 1960s after someone allegedly smuggled them in from Hawaii and released them into their garden. It took authorities more than 10 years and over $1 million to eradicate it, according to the USDA.