A 45-year-old man from Mexico arrived in Cologne three weeks ago via Istanbul. Customs officers noticed he was unusually nervous during his exit process and took a swab from his hands, which showed traces of cocaine. Upon inspecting his suitcase, they discovered more than 90 live snakes and poisonous lizards hidden in shampoo bottles, plastic containers, and inside his pants. The customs officers found 37 venomous snakes, including vipers and pit vipers, and 55 lizards, some of which are endangered species. Veterinarians were called in to care for the exotic animals, but nearly 30 of them died due to being cramped and deprived of food during their journey. During questioning, the man claimed he had come to Germany for vacation and brought the animals as a favor to a friend in Brazil, but customs officials believe the act was smuggling for sale, with some species potentially fetching hundreds of euros.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a customs seizure involving illegal wildlife trafficking, which has legal and environmental implications. It presents the facts neutrally, citing customs officials and the police agency dpa, without apparent ideological framing or biased language. No political entities or stak





