Bizarre and Strange Things Confiscated at Airports Throughout the World
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While many of us have been guilty of trying to slip the occasional item past airport security and customs for that special gadget, bottle of booze, or delectable treat you can’t buy at home, some of the most bizarre attempts to smuggle in things you would never have thought of in your wildest dreams have been nabbed at airport security across this planet — from endangered animals to human organs.
Hyacinth Macaws. Photo Donna Sullivan-Thomas
Untold numbers of people pass through airports on any given day, which presents potential targets for terrorism and crime. The high concentration of people on large airliners, the capacity to use a hijacked plane as a lethal weapon, and potential high death rate from attacks and bombs on airliners can make for alluring targets for terrorism.
Thus, in attempt to thwart would-be attackers, airport security throughout the world has been forced to implement and tighten prevention tactics to reduce chances of weapons getting onto aircraft and to reassure the travelling public that they’re safe — but sometimes airport security goes a little bit overboard in confiscating items for rather bizarre reasons.
In a crafty endeavor to avoid paying the fee for transporting a body, a Chilean family once tried to wheel a dead relative through security in a wheelchair at JFK airport.
Photo John Picken
One of the most bizarre things of all time was found at Stansted Airport in 2007 — 10 human eyeballs floating in a jam jar.
Chameleon. Photo William Warby
A 17-year old girl managed to travel all the way from Dubai to Manchester, England with a chameleon perched on her head in July 2002, trying to smuggle the creature into the UK by wearing it as a hat. Her dubious plan wasn’t spotted by security until fellow passengers started taking pictures of the girl.
“At first I thought it was plastic, but then I saw its tongue flick out. I could not believe she had travelled on a plane with it on her head.” said witness Ian Cookson.
Bird of Paradise. Photo Cliff
49-year old Robert Cusack was apprehended at Los Angeles Airport in 2002 after 4 rare birds of paradise escaped from his suitcase and started flying around the terminal.
Pygmy Monkey. Photo John Morton
After further questioning, Cusack was heard to utter, ‘I have monkeys in my pants’ — 2 endangered slow loris pygmy monkeys were swiftly removed from his underwear, and he was sentenced to 5 1/2 months in jail.
Three alleged Ashera kittens — domestic / wild cats that are a hybrid between the African serval, the Asian leopard cat, and a domestic housecat — were confiscated at Schiphol Airport in February 2008. Official DNA testing proved them to be fakes that were actually F1 Savannahs bred by Shirk of Cutting Edge Cats from his serval and an Egyptian Mau which were being passed off as Ashera, a hybrid cat marketed by Lifestyle Pets.
Asheras can weigh up to 40 pounds (18 kilos) and cost $22,000 US, which meant the Savannah cats bred by Shirk were each resold as Asheras for around 4 times their original price. ‘Hypoallergenic’ versions sell for $37,000 and versions with rare markings sell for up to $125,000.
Albino leopard geckos. Photo Istolethetv
A Norwegian man was caught in the town of Kristiansand on October 27 who had ingeniously strapped some packages to his legs containing contraband items — 10 albino leopard geckos were recovered from the containers.
Photo Shek Graham
Customs officials were more than curious when they heard ‘flipping noises’ emanating from beneath a woman’s skirt at Melbourne Airport in June 2005. The woman was nailed for trying to import banned marine life when the staff found an apron of plastic water-filled bags containing 51 live tropical fish under her skirt.
Customs and Transportation Security Administration officials at New York airport once nabbed a man who attempted to bring a fully gassed-up power chain saw through a checkpoint.
Photo Andrew Finegan
Even more ‘Snakes on a Plane’ — officials grew suspicious of a woman in Stockholm, Sweden, who was continually scratching her chest. She was arrested attempting to smuggle 75 live snakes in her bra according to Sunshine travel agency. Either she was wearing one monster-sized bra, or they had to be very small snakes.
Just beyond the airport, a Mexican man was taken in for questioning in 2006 while attempting to cross the border into the US after an X-ray machine discovered 16 large packages stashed inside secret compartments in his pickup truck. Officials fervently opened the packages expecting to uncover a massive haul of drugs — only to discover that they contained 40 pounds of cheese.
Confiscated seahorses. Photo U.S. Customs and Border Protection
This shipment of dead seahorses was intercepted by customs officials at the Elizabeth Seaport in New Jersey that was headed for Elmhurst, Queens. Seahorses are commonly traded live for the aquarium trade and dead for decorative purposes and medicinal uses such as aphrodisiacs. The culprits transporting the seahorses had no official documentation, so the shipment was seized and they could face a $10,000 fine.
Photo U.S. Customs and Border Protection
This bushmeat was confiscated at Newark Liberty Airport in February 2009. “Bushmeat” refers to meat from animals living in ‘the bush’ or forest — frequently rats, antelope, or monkeys — and is usually seized coming from Africa.
Giant Ghana Snail shell. Photo David G. Robinson, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org
The Giant Ghana Snail — also known as the giant tiger land snail — is a species of very large, air-breathing land snail that’s routinely confiscated by Quarantine Authorities at US airports, especially Baltimore, Dulles, JFKIA, and San Francisco. These huge snails are kept as pets in the Western world where owners prize their large size, distinctive markings, and rarity.
This species has not yet become established in the USA, but it is considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest — an invasive species which could negatively effect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. As such, it’s been suggested that this species be given top national quarantine significance in the US.
Taryn Simon spent 5 full days at JFK airport in New York, where she photographed more than 1,000 items seized from airline passengers and mail packages entering the US — horse sausage and cow manure tooth powder have to be up at the top of the list of the strangest items. Her works are currently featured from now through the end of 2010 at the Lever House Art Collection on Park Avenue in midtown Manhattan.
Busted Celebrities
Snoop Dogg. Official US Navy photo by Chief Photographers Mate Donald Bray
Rap artist Cordozar Calvin Broadus — better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg — was detained at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California by airport security on September 27 2006 after airport screeners found a collapsible police baton in Snoop’s carry-on bag. The baton was confiscated but Snoop was allowed to board the flight. He was charged with various weapons violations stemming from the incident and sentenced to 3 years’ probation and 160 hours of community service starting on September 20 2007.
Soon after September 11 2001, renowned pianist Krystian Zimerman — widely regarded as one of the finest pianists alive — had a frightful surprise when Zimerman’s custom-made piano was confiscated at JFK Airport when he landed in New York City to give a recital at Carnegie Hall. The US Transportation Security Administration decided to destroy his piano, claiming the glue smelled like explosives.
Famed Rush Hudson Limbaugh who hosts the Rush Limbaugh show was detained by drug enforcement agents at Palm Beach International Airport in June 2006. Customs officials confiscated Viagra from Limbaugh’s luggage as he was returning from the Dominican Republic — the prescription was not in Limbaugh’s name.
After he was released with no charges filed, Limbaugh joked about the incident on his radio show, claiming that he got the Viagra at the Clinton Library and was told they were blue M&M’s. He also stated that “I had a great time in the Dominican Republic. Wish I could tell you about it.”
Sources: Online MBA and Wikipedia
Tags:airport airports bizarre confiscated contraband endangered animals features infographic security seizures weird
They were so unbelievable. How can they manage to do those things when they know that they are not permitted in the airport? Good thing that the airports have a tight security and safety measures that are implemented for the safety of all. Hope that they will stop there smuggling activities especially of those endangered animals.
It must have been a quiet day at the airport, if customs workers could hear a little fish swimming around in a plastic bag.