Flight grounded: Man caught smuggling snakes in pants at Miami Airport
To the man's surprise, the airport's security systems flawlessly reacted to the "anomaly" detected on his body. The man didn't take long to admit he was hiding a bag of snakes in his pants.
A photo of two tiny, pink snakes taken out of the bag was published by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
The animals were handed over to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and police and customs services were called to the scene.
A TSA spokesperson, in an interview with "The Independent," acknowledged that the detained passenger had plans for an international flight.
He basically admitted to having snakes in his pants as soon as the alarms went off - the spokesperson said.
The fate of the man who intended to smuggle snakes remains unknown. The authorities also do not disclose his identity or his intended destination.
Exotic stowaways in Miami
Though not a daily occurrence at airports, there have been numerous instances where passengers attempted to board a plane with prohibited live cargo, sometimes successfully.
Last year, a woman smuggled onto a plane at the Indian airport in Madras 22 snakes and a chameleon. In January this year, a passenger at the international airport in Phuket, Thailand, jumped over the checkpoint with a "Blanford's whip snake".
To add drama to the situation, it's enough to mention that the reptile escaped and caused quite a stir among those present at the airport.
In January 2023, TSA agents in Tampa discovered a four-meter (about 13 feet) boa constrictor hidden in a passenger's bag, who claimed it was his "emotional support animal".
