Six giant snails found in luggage of Ghanaian traveller

Six giant African land snails were found in the luggage of a traveller who flew from Ghana to the US state of Michigan.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection say the snails were intercepted by agriculture specialists at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on March 9.

“While intended for direct consumption, the snails pose significant health risks to humans and the environment and are considered an invasive species,” CBP said on Friday.

Authorities said the man transporting the snails is a resident of Ghana. He was released without further actions and the molluscs were seized for further analysis.

While popular for consumption in most West African states such as Ghana and Nigeria – and even kept as pets in other countries – land snails are a prohibited organism in the whole of U.S.

They can carry a parasitic nematode that can lead to meningitis in humans.

They eat at least 500 different types of plants, along with plaster and stucco on buildings, and are thus feared to cause significant damage to structures and ecosystems.