90 giant African land snails intercepted at Detroit Metro Airport after agents notice strange smell

(CBS DETROIT) — Customs agents say they seized 90 live snails from luggage at Detroit Metro Airport last month.

The giant African land snails were discovered after a traveler arriving from Ghana on June 30 was recommended for a secondary examination for declaring that their luggage contained fresh food items.

During this inspection, a tied, woven bag was found to be emanating a strange smell. Agriculture specialists looked inside the bag and found the snails, which range from three to six inches in length, according to a release from customs agents.

Before they looked inside the bag, agents said the traveler began declaring other items, including beef skin and fresh peppers, but they never brought up having the snails.

"These snails are an invasive species that could negatively impact our economy," said Acting Port Director John Nowak. "Our agriculture specialists are always keeping a watchful eye out for harmful plants, animals and insects."

The snails were intended for consumption, but they are an invasive species because they eat a variety of plants when they get out into the environment and can "cause structural damage by using stucco on houses to meet their calcium requirement for shell growth," according to customs agents.

In the first quarter of 2024, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers intercepted 13 firearms at Detroit Metro Airport, intercepted 13 firearms at Detroit Metro Airport , which was a decline from the previous year.

While firearms and bottles of water are the most frequently stopped items at TSA checkpoints, agents encounter a variety of strange items every day, including machetes, a bag of snakes, , including machetes, a bag of snakes and even a kitchen sink.

Live snails were also intercepted at Detroit Metro Airport in March 2023 ; that traveler was also arriving from Ghana. In October 2023, an invasive Egyptian locust was seized at the Port of Detroit after it was found in cargo coming from Italy.