Giant African snails found in luggage at Glasgow Airport

By PETER SIMPSON
Published on 19/09/2012 17:20

THEY’RE normally seen trudging through plants or making a mess of doorsteps, but the snails that passed through Glasgow Airport earlier this month left a slightly bigger impression.

• 36 giant snails seized at Glasgow Airport

• Snails can reach up to 15cm in length

That’s because these were African land snails, which grow up to 15cm in length. 36 of the giant snails were found in the suitcase of a passenger arriving from Amsterdam, and seized by officers as their owner didn’t have the correct import licence.

While they were unlikely to make a quick escape, the snails could have spread new diseases if let loose in the wild. They were passed to an animal charity - luckily for them, as the man who imported them told officials that the snails, a popular delicacy, were for food.

Murdo MacMillan from the Border Force in Scotland said: “The vigilance of our officers at Glasgow Airport has stopped these snails from entering Scotland, and possibly posing a risk to our native plants and wildlife.

“I would warn travellers not to attempt to bring live animals into the UK without a permit, or to bring in any products of animal origin which may contain pests or diseases.”