1.500 tarantulas discovered in cake boxes in Cologne Airport

German customs officers in Cologne have discovered 1.500 tarantula spiders hidden in cake boxes on an air mail delivery from Vietnam to Sauerland.

Tarantulas discovered in cake boxes at Cologne Airport

Customs officers working at Cologne-Bonn Airport have released pictures of their latest discovery: chocolate cake boxes stuffed with 1.500 tiny tarantulas in plastic tubes.

Officer Jens Ahland wrote in a statement that he and his colleagues were prompted to inspect the cake boxes following a “noticeable smell”. Ahland said that when they discovered what was inside, “even the most experienced among [my colleagues] were left speechless”.

Many of the spiders had already died when Ahland and colleagues made their discovery. The surviving tarantulas were given to an animal handler.

Sauerland tarantula recipient under investigation

Criminal proceedings have now begun against a resident in Sauerland, North Rhine-Westphalia, who was due to receive the package of tarantulas. European regulations require insect imports to be officially declared to customs.

A similar case occurred in April 2025, when two Belgian teenagers were stopped leaving Kenya with 5.000 undeclared ants worth an estimated 8.000 euros. In May, the pair were charged in a Nairobi court with violating Kenyan wildlife conservation laws.