Trafficking remains a major criminal activity across the world and while body parts of animals are widely smuggled for various purposes, some exotic and rather lethal creatures are also being trafficked.
In a shocking development in California, a man was caught trying to smuggle deadly King Cobras inside a can of potato chips. The reptile is known for growing up to 18-feet long and its venom which can kill a human being in 30 minutes and an elephant in a matter of hours.
Monterey Park man arrested on federal charges of smuggling king cobras into U.S. https://t.co/K4pkSisprm pic.twitter.com/j1UweVAEwb
— US Attorney L.A. (@CDCANews) July 25, 2017
The package also contained albino Chinese soft-shelled turtles, and to bust the racket cops kept the snakes and sent the package to a man who was set to receive it. They got a search warrant and raided Rodrigo Franco’s house to find many other protected species in his possession.
Franco admitted to receiving 20 King Cobras in two similar shipments previously.
