Tourist Smuggles Live Lobster In Checked Luggage

People are always trying to smuggle illicit delicacies from one country to another, and this week one tourist managed the impressive feat of smuggling a live lobster all the way from Australia to Hong Kong, and he almost succeeded, too.

According to Shanghaiist, a tourist from the Chinese mainland was traveling from Australia to China, and before arriving at his destination he had a stop in Hong Kong. He had reportedly tucked a live lobster into his suitcase in Australia, then stopped in Hong Kong, and somehow nobody appears to have noticed the lobster. He almost made it all the way home before customs officials at Ningbo Airport in China found the creature.

The lobster was packed into a styrofoam container and altogether weighed about seven pounds. After customs officials found the lobster, the man claimed he had purchased it in Australia for $535 and was bringing it home to eat as a souvenir. Bringing live animals into the country is illegal, though, and the customs officials say they were forced to kill the very expensive lobster and dispose of it according to regulations. There's no word on whether or not the regulations included garlic sauce, but anybody who happens to come into some extra seafood could check out our best lobster recipes for some preparation ideas.