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.

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.

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