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3mo ago

37 Giant Live Beetles Smuggled in Japanese Snacks Seized at LAX

U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted the insects, valued at $1,480, which pose significant agricultural risks.

(L): Two of the beetles found in the cargo shipment to Los Angeles International airport last month. (R): Some of the beetles found amid snacks.
Live scarab beetles, stag beetles and darkling beetles were found hidden among a consignment of Japanese snacks that came into Los Angeles, customs officials said
Company exporter of long-horned beetles, a popular pet for Japanese children, has created its own cryptocurrency to avoid high commissions on international sales in Tunja, Colombia on November 19, 2021. Tierra Viva, company created by the Colombian entrepreneur and environmental engineer German Viasus to revolutionize the cryptocurrency market with their 'environmentally friendly' Kmushicoin, a startup that produces bio-compost and bio-fertilizer through giant beetles. It was initially created to sell stocks from the company, but now generates energy in an "environmentally friendly way." We can re-establish the forests very quickly, if it normally takes an average of 15 years, we could accelerate it to seven to eight years, an estimate of 50 percent of what it takes to grow a tree. (Photo by Juancho Torres/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Overview

  • The beetles, measuring 4 to 5 inches long, were hidden inside packages of potato chips, chocolate, and other Japanese snacks in an air cargo shipment from Japan.
  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists discovered the 37 live beetles during a routine inspection at Los Angeles International Airport last month.
  • Officials warn that smuggled beetles can damage agriculture by consuming plants, leaves, and roots, and laying eggs on tree bark, which can harm forests.
  • The exotic beetles, sought after by collectors, were turned over to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and are likely to be donated to zoos or preserved in insect collections.
  • Importing live insects into the U.S. requires a USDA permit, and the case highlights the risks posed by the illegal trade of exotic insects.