Man Caught Trying To Smuggle Snakes On A Plane

A real snakes-on-a-plane incident was stopped by customs officers at Cairo's airport on Thursday.

The officers detained an Egyptian man, Yahia Rahim Tulba, who was trying to smuggle 700 live snakes on a plane to Saudi Arabia.

The snakes were discovered in a carry-on bag after officers asked the man to open it. Among the various snakes hidden in small cloth sacks were two poisonous cobras.

Tulba said he had hoped to sell the snakes in Saudi Arabia. He said the snakes are wanted by Saudis who display them in shops, keep them as pets or sell them for research.

Police confiscated the snakes and arrested the man, accusing him of violating export laws and endangering the lives of other passengers.

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