BUG SMUGGLING? US museum curator temporarily detained in Turkey airport with 1,500 scorpions and spiders in luggage

A curator at New York’s renowned American Museum of Natural History, who was detained at Turkey’s Istanbul Airport on the suspicion of smuggling valuable poisonous spiders and scorpions out of the country, has returned to the United States.

Police said the confiscated specimens were indigenous to Turkey and their DNA could be copied, while their poisons could be used for making medicines, as per Reuters. According to the police, one liter of medicine from scorpion venom could be worth $10 million, which is why it was prohibited to take these animal species out of the country. Police added that the suspect faces charges under anti-smuggling law for attempting to carry the specimens out of the country.

www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-museum-curator-temporarily-detained-in-turkey-airport-with-1-500-scorpions-and-spiders-in-luggage/ar-BB1mrtUJ?ocid=BingNewsSerp

Turns out he had permits to take them and was not charged

h/t Emeraldlight