No way! Man caught smuggling pythons and lizards taped to his body in Norway

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Imagine the surprise of Norwegian customs official Helge Breilid when he randomly searched the luggage of a young man arriving from Denmark and found a tarantula. The creepy discoveries didn’t stop there. Breilid then began searching the 22-year-old Norwegian and found 10 albino leopard geckos and 14 baby royal pythons.

According to the Associated Press, the creatures were individually housed in small bags that were taped to the legs and chest of the alleged smuggler.

The unusual apprehension happened Sunday during a routine customs check of passengers who had just arrived via ferry into Kristiansand.

‘All the reptiles were pretty small and when they roll up they don’t take much space,’ customs agent Knut Inge Brandsvoll told the local Faedrelandsvennen newspaper.

Although the animals are not endangered, and even though they are legal for purchase in Denmark, Norwegian law bans the import of reptiles.

-- Tony Pierce

In the top two photos, a man is shown Oct. 25, 2009 with baby pythons and lizards in small bags taped to his body, at the Norwegian Customs office in Kristiansand.

The bottom two photos show the pythons and geckos recovered by customs officials.

Photo credits: HO/AFP/Getty Images)