Seeing The Beatles in an airport would be very exciting, but seeing beetles? Not so much.
According to a press release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a shipment containing 37 live beetles was discovered at Los Angeles International Airport.
The insects came from Japan and were hidden in Japanese snack packages in an effort to conceal them. The alleged smugglers are thought to have shipped the beetles, which are valued at $1,480, in an effort to sell them to exotic insect collectors and enthusiasts.
“They may look harmless but in reality, smuggled beetles pose a significant threat to our vital agriculture resources,” says Cheryl M. Davies, CBP director of field operations in Los Angeles. “Beetles can become a serious pest by eating plants, leaves, and roots and by laying eggs on tree bark which damages our forests.”
While they won’t be sold to any collectors, the beetles will be donated to local zoos.