A firefighter tried to bring 37 venomous snakes and 55 lizards hidden in luggage into Germany.

A 45-year-old man was stopped at Cologne-Bonn Airport in Germany after attempting to smuggle 37 venomous snakes and 55 lizards brought from Mexico into the country. The reptiles were hidden in bottles of shampoo and cream, plastic containers, and among pairs of socks. Some of the animals died during transport, which took place along the Mexico City–Istanbul–Cologne route.

The man attracted the customs officers’ attention because he appeared unusually nervous and was trying to pass through the airport’s green channel, intended for passengers with no goods to declare. The drug test came back positive for cocaine, but no prohibited substances were found in his luggage. Instead, the inspection revealed vipers, rattlesnakes, and several species of lizards, including iguanas.

The suspect told the authorities that he was transporting the reptiles for an acquaintance from Brazil. Germany refused him entry and sent him back to Istanbul. The surviving animals were taken in by a farm specializing in snake breeding. The case is part of a broader phenomenon: last year, German customs officials confiscated more than 56,600 protected animals and plants.