The arachnids were found at Cologne Bonn airport after customs officials were tipped off by a "noticeable smell" that did not match the expected aroma of the alleged treats.

German customs at Cologne Bonn Airport discovered 1,500 live tarantulas hidden in cake boxes in a shipment from Vietnam, raising animal welfare concerns

Customs officials have released photos from a seizure of roughly 1,500 young tarantulas found inside plastic containers that had been hidden in spongecake boxes shipped to an airport in Germany.