Exotic ‘crocodile head’ bag, leeches among illegal items seized at Dulles this month

Unusual items recovered at Dulles International Airport

Customs officials at Dulles International Airport have made some unusual discoveries in travelers bags over the recent months.

STERLING, Va. - An exotic, three-dimensional crocodile head bag was among a number of unusual animal-related items seized by customs and wildlife agents at Dulles International Airport in January and February, officials said last week.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, along with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents, seized two crocodile-skin bags and a belt that a traveler from Ghana brought stateside in January. In early February, wildlife inspectors confirmed that the crocodile is an endangered species.

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And two weeks later, inspectors seized an ivory necklace that had been in the possession of a traveler from Ghana.

Most recently, a detector dog alerted agents to quince fruit carrying leeches in the bags of a man traveling from Turkey. They say importing leeches is a violation of endangered species laws.

Dulles International Airport Crime and Public Safety