US Customs and Border Protection officials confiscated 90 giant African snails from a passenger arriving from Ghana at Detroit Metropolitan Airport last month.
According to Asaaseradio.com, airport agriculture specialists were alerted by a strange odor coming from the traveler’s bag, prompting further inspection after the individual declared fresh food items.
The passenger also admitted to carrying other banned items, such as beef skin and fresh peppers, but did not disclose the presence of the snails.
The snails, measuring between three and six inches, were believed to be intended for consumption. While considered a delicacy in West Africa, giant African snails are deemed invasive in the US and other Western nations. They can consume over 500 plant species and even damage building materials like plaster for calcium.
The US Department of Agriculture warns that these snails can carry the rat lungworm parasite, which poses serious health risks, including meningitis. Notably, in 2023, live giant African snails were also discovered in the luggage of another traveler from Ghana at the same airport.
