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 Weighing nearly 2 pounds (0.9 kg) each, including their shells,
and measuring about 6 inches (15 cm) in length, the 67 snails
arrived from Lagos, Nigeria, in two plastic baskets with paperwork
describing them as being for human consumption, the U.S. Customs and
Border Protection agency said.
The mollusks appeared to be packaged as a personal shipment and were
marked as destined for an address in San Dimas, California, about 30
miles (48 km) east of Los Angeles, agency spokeswoman Lee Harty
said.
No attempt was made to conceal or smuggle the snails, the largest
such shipment ever seized at LAX, she said. But the creatures are
prohibited from entry because they are deemed a highly invasive pest
that pose a serious threat to U.S. agriculture, the environment and
public health, the agency said.
 According to Customs and Border Protection, the giant snails can
consume more than 500 types of plants, and will even munch on the
exterior of homes if fruits and vegetables are not available. They
also can carry several parasites harmful to humans, including one
that can lead to meningitis, Harty said.
After they were intercepted by customs officials at the airport on
July 1, specimens were sent to a local U.S. Department of
Agriculture lab and then on to USDA mollusk specialists in
Washington for further examination.
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Experts identified the creatures as belonging to the giant African
snail species, known by the scientific name Archachatina marginata.
They also are commonly referred to as giant African land snails,
West African snails, West African land snails or banana rasp snails.
Each of the mollusks, with striated brownish-orange shells, can
easily fill the palm of a person's hand. They can grow up to 8
inches (20 cm) in length and may live up to 10 years in the wild,
experts say.
The entire collection confiscated at the airport was eventually
turned over to the USDA, which disposed of the snails through
incineration, although no garlic or butter was used, Harty said.
(Reporting by Steve Gorman; Editing by Peter Cooney)
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