Sven Koppler a German tarantula dealer has been recently charged with sending hundreds of tarantulas illegally to the United States through the U.S. mail. He was arrested right after he had just flown into Los Angeles, California after a nine-month investigation. Koppler faces one count of illegally importing wildlife into the United States, which he failed to receive permits and did not declare the spiders. Nearly 600 tarantulas were under question during the investigation, some were the Brachypelma Smithi species that are commonly known as Mexican red-kneed tarantulas. This species is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and can only be traded with special permits. Koppler failed to confess to the Fish and Wildlife Service that he had shipped the tarantulas and that is why they are considered smuggled. If convicted, Koppler could be sentenced to up to 20 years in federal prison and fined $250,000, prosecutors said. According to the criminal complaint, Koppler mailed more than 500 tarantulas, which many were wrapped in colored plastic straws. Koppler has received about $300,000 as a result of tarantula sales around the world.
Wow! That’s a lot of spiders to be sold in the U.S. but I don’t think the guy should serve 20 years for selling spiders. I think he should at least get a couple years since it is illegal without a permit and he knew that it was wrong to do but he probably got to greedy to do it in the right way.
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