Suitcase full of venomous snakes stopped at German airport after customs search
Reported by The Independent · October 16, 2026
Reptiles found in suitcase
The passenger was travelling through Cologne Bonn Airport when customs officers stopped him. A drug screening returned a positive result for cocaine, but a search of his luggage found no narcotics.
Animals face severe conditions
Jens Ahland, a spokesperson for the Cologne Customs office, described the concealment as inhumane. He said airport staff had not previously encountered that number of live venomous snakes and lizards in a suitcase.
Passenger sent back to Istanbul
Wildlife trafficking remains an issue at German transit hubs, and Cologne Bonn Airport has had earlier smuggling cases. Six years ago, customs officers there found 26 rare Mexican reptiles in mail parcels disguised as toys and confectionery; 10 had died.
Key points
- Customs officers found 92 reptiles in a suitcase at Cologne Bonn Airport.
- Dozens reportedly died; surviving reptiles received emergency care at a German snake farm.
- Authorities denied the passenger entry and sent him back to Istanbul.