• Sweden edition
National

Man caught smuggling snakes on a plane

Published: 14 Nov 11 08:53 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/37334/20111114/

A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to community service after customs inspectors atStockholm Arlanda Airport found almost 50 reptiles, including 41 scorpions and five vipers, in his baggage.

The man, who is a snake breeder, travelled from China to Sweden with the reptiles.

But his trip ended at customs at Arlanda Airport when the contents of his baggage were revealed, according to a report in the Metro daily.

When officials opened his bag they found 41 scorpions, five vipers and three Chinese grass snakes.

The reptiles were packed in various plastic containers and two of the snakes were found to have died in transit.

The man has now been sentenced to 60 hours of community service for smuggling.

According to Attunda District Court, the man was aware of the risks of his venture.

While he claimed that he received the animals as a gift and took a spontaneous decision to transport them back to Sweden, the court noted that a courier package from Hong Kong had previous been stopped in transit to the man.

When the mailed package was seized and opened, officials found five snakes in two containers marked "toys", two of which were king cobras, the world's longest venomous snake and a protected species.

TT/The Local/pvs (news@thelocal.se)

What do you think? Leave your comment below.

Your comments about this article:

The comments below have not been moderated in advance and are not produced by The Local unless clearly stated. Readers are responsible for the content of their own comments. Comments that breach our terms and conditions will be removed.

09:45 November 14, 2011 by Pont-y-garreg
The first senrence should read "...after having BEEN stopped ..."
11:20 November 14, 2011 by matco
Scorpions are reptiles now?
11:38 November 14, 2011 by chantal11
According to Attunda District Court, the man was aware of the risks of his venture....

yeah he sure did... a very severe punishment of 60 hours of community service will no doubt deter him from doing that again...
13:10 November 14, 2011 by this_aint_sparta
I am dieng to know why he was bringing it to sweden??? pets? food?
13:45 November 14, 2011 by jmclewis
It does not look like any easy lunch to eat.
14:03 November 14, 2011 by muscle
lol... you never know about chinese and the japs! (IF the guy is chinese)... they eat everything... with everything i reallly mean ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING :) . So i think the lunch box was suitable for this case >)
15:46 November 14, 2011 by Svensksmith
Bet the official who first opened the lunch box nearly crapped himself.
18:35 November 14, 2011 by scrawler
This cobra looks so beautiful :)
19:37 November 14, 2011 by Grokh
@muscle not sure why you included japs... they are not known to eat weird stuff, apart from coca cola with extra fibers and stuff like that i dont think they eat dogs etc. now the chinese theyll eat roadkill.

M*fking snakes on a M*fking plane.
11:20 November 15, 2011 by muscle
@Grokh:

trust me man, you have NO IDEA what the japs can eat :) and what stuff is considered delicacy in some parts of japan. :)
14:16 November 16, 2011 by SimonDMontfort
Lol!! Was Samuel L Jackson on hand with his gun..??
05:05 November 18, 2011 by biddi
60 hours of community service? Bloody ridiculous. Where's the deterrent in that? You do that in Australia and you'll know all about it! Feel very sorry for the creatures.
00:57 November 19, 2011 by Coalbanks
60 hours community service? after risking the lives of people on the plane? try 6 months hard labour - proof reading the Local, for example.
15:52 November 20, 2011 by Grokh
@muscle true i had forgotten about the worms and the salted vinegar locust .

http://www.loneleeplanet.com/2010/02/10-weird-japanese-foods/

heres a top 10 of japanese weird food, but i still think they arent the worst when it comes to weird disgusting food and yet they can eat fish sperm... imagine what can be worse than that xD.

indians eat giant beetles.

ill just stick with raw fish in sushi. and loads of wasabi ^_^
ADD YOUR COMMENT   (YOU MUST LOG IN OR REGISTER TO MAKE A COMMENT)
Today's headlines
Unrest in Stockholm
Seven arrested over Stockholm's Husby riots

Seven arrested over Stockholm's Husby riots

Seven people were arrested on Tuesday following the Husby riots in northern Stockholm, with Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt warning that the unrest may continue. READ () »

Stockholm Internet Forum
'The future of freedom on the internet is at stake'

'The future of freedom on the internet is at stake'

Internet policy experts gather in Stockholm this week to grapple with online data protection and surveillance issues that everyone who surfs the web should care about, reports technologist Stefan Geens. READ () »

'Swedishness must be split from being white'

'Swedishness must be split from being white'

Sweden needs a new story better equipped to deal with and include today's demographic diversity and create a new Swedishness that is separate from whiteness, write representatives from the Multicultural Centre in Botkyrka near Stockholm. READ () »

Body parts found in missing woman search

Body parts found in missing woman search

Human remains were found in a military building in northern Sweden on Monday night during the search for a 20-year-old woman who has been missing for two weeks. READ () »

My Swedish Career
The 'absolute truth' about tacos in Stockholm

The 'absolute truth' about tacos in Stockholm

Unable to find good Mexican food after moving to Stockholm to study in 2008, Monterrey native David Licona now finds himself running La Neta, one of the most popular Mexican eateries in the Swedish capital. The Local finds out more. READ () »

Gothenburg Instragram riots
Defamation charges for Instagram 'slut-shaming'

Defamation charges for Instagram 'slut-shaming'

Two Swedish teenage girls were officially charged with defamation on Tuesday for their involvement in the "slut-shaming" Instagram account that saw enraged teens in Gothenburg lay siege to two high schools last year. READ () »

Topless woman to be lifted from Swedish map

Topless woman to be lifted from Swedish map

After a caricature of a topless woman on a tourist map in western Sweden left some residents seething, a local official has promised to have the offending image removed. READ () »

More National

 

RECEIVE OUR NEWSLETTER AND ALERTS
 

 

Highlights
Scanpix
SPORT »
Sweden win ice hockey world champs at home
Scanpix
SPORT »
Swedes sweep top French football awards
fastighetsbyrån.se
GALLERY »
Property of the Week: Check out this funky three-room apartment on the Stockholm island of Södermalm
Scanpix
GALLERY »
Sweden win Ice Hockey World Championships. See the celebrations in Stockholm
Scanpix
GALLERY »
Youths burn 100 cars in north Stockholm riots
Finest.se scanpix.se
GALLERY »
People-watching: Nightlife, Ice Hockey Gold celebrations, the royal family... You name it, this week's gallery has it
WikiCommons
BUSINESS & MONEY »
Solna voted best place to live in Sweden
Scanpix
TRAVEL »
Quiz - Think You Know Sweden? This week we head to one of Sweden's ten biggest towns. But which one?
Scanpix
LIFESTYLE »
Eurovision host: 'Not everyone has to like me'
Scanpix
LIFESTYLE »
Denmark wins Eurovision 2013 in Malmö
Paul Hansen/World Press Photo
SOCIETY »
Award-winning Swedish photographer cleared of manipulation
DoToday
LIFESTYLE »
What's On:The Local's guide to upcoming attractions and events in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö
Scanpix
NATIONAL »
A Congolese-Swedish pastor explains the roots to recent cases of parents exorcising demons from their children in Sweden
File photo: AP
NATIONAL »
H&M backs Bangladesh building safety accord
Scanpix
GALLERY »
Eurovision: second semi-final entries
Finest.se
GALLERY »
People-watching: Scenes from the Arctic Council meeting, Eurovision demonstrations, and Stockholm nightlife
Screenshot: American Apparel
SOCIETY »
Swedes slam American Apparel over 'sexist' ads
Hasse Holmberg/Scanpix (File)
BUSINESS & MONEY »
Housing crunch forces more young Swedes to live with mum and dad
Janerik Henriksson/Scanpix
LIFESTYLE »
Eurovision - Centre State: 'It won't be easy to win again': Robin Stjernberg
Asif Akbar/sxc.hu (File)
OPINION »
'Not all discrimination in Sweden is racism'
Lana Wimmer
GALLERY »
Hidden Stockholm Gems: Ulriksdal's Palace
Sex in Sweden: condoms optional - study
SOCIETY »
Sex in Sweden: condoms optional - study
AP (File)
POLITICS »
Russia 'lacks capacity' to attack Sweden: Reinfeldt
fastighetsbyrån.se
GALLERY »
Property of the Week: This week, we're looking inside a home from the 1700s just west of Stockholm. Complete with two cannons.
Scanpix (File)
OPINION »
JobTalk: Top ten tips for earning a higher salary in Sweden
Juanma Perez Rabasco
SOCIETY »
Swedish kids start daycare earlier: report
Facebook
SOCIETY »
'Sex scandal' minister bathes in viral toilet puppy love
Scanpix
NATIONAL »
Illegal apartment rentals thrive in Stockholm flat crunch
Ben Grey/Flickr
SCIENCE & TECH »
Sweden 'second best' place to become a mum
Eddie Gee
LIFESTYLE »
Check out the back catalogue of all The Local's Swedes of the Week
Photo: The Local
SPONSORED ARTICLE
Stockholm International School - what’s in IT for students?
Dixie Thomas Hughes
SPONSORED ARTICLE
US expat David V. Hughes on determination and discovery by design

 

Latest news from The Local in Germany

More news from Germany at thelocal.de

Latest news from The Local in France

More news from France at thelocal.fr

Latest news from The Local in Norway

More news from Norway at thelocal.no

Latest news from The Local in Switzerland

More news from Switzerland at thelocal.ch

Search News


Register

Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss

REGISTER FOR FREE »


Blog Update: Boston Blatte

20 May 15:25

Hockey. Hockey. Hockey. »

"BANG!!!! BANG!!!! BANG!!! In the midst of the Stanley Cup’s Eastern Conference semifinals series, every Bostonian knows it is all about Bruins ice hockey. Oh right. I am in Sweden, home of the 2013 International Ice Hockey Federation GOLD Champions. And there is certainly no doubt ice hockey fever has taken over Sweden. A lot of Swedes,..." READ »

The Local's new Marketplace
Find products and services that are specifically focused on English speakers living in Sweden!
FULL DETAILS
Counseling in English
Individuals & Couples - Stockholm Beth Rogerson PhD - Clinical, Marriage & Family Therapist
Click or call 08-5580 1266 now
Trade binary options
Create an account with Banc De Binary, the world’s most reputable binary options firm, and start cashing in today! You can start by practicing with our free $50,000 demo account.
www.bbinary.com
Therapy in English
Expat counsellor & talk therapist offers counselling for stress, relationship issues, sexuality, culture adjustment & life coaching. Private & confidential. Stockholm or Skype. Contact me today! 08-559 22 636 or
CLICK HERE
Holiday Luxury Villa in Portugal
Casa Birgitta in Algarve, Portugal. Reduced price in best location. Private estate on white sand beach. All amenities included. Book here today! edward_george1@hotmail.com