Lorenzo Prendini, a renowned arachnid specialist and curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, was reportedly detained at Istanbul Airport on Monday.
Turkish media outlets allege that Prendini was attempting to smuggle approximately 1,500 spider and scorpion samples out of the country.
The state-operated Anadolu news agency reported that Prendini was apprehended for allegedly smuggling species indigenous to Turkey. The agency stated that 88 bottles filled with liquids and roughly 1,500 scorpions, tarantulas, and spiders endemic to Turkey were confiscated from his luggage. The news outlet highlighted that the DNA from these species can be utilized in the production of medication.
An expert in Turkey informed Reuters that a liter of scorpion venom could fetch around $10 million. The Demiroren News Agency released a video showing officers inspecting hand luggage and extracting plastic bags seemingly filled with deceased spiders and scorpions.
The American Museum of Natural History's website identifies Prendini as the custodian of its spider, scorpion, centipede, and millipede collections. It further states that his research on spiders and scorpions has led him to over 30 countries across all continents, with the exception of Antarctica.
In a related incident in 2022, a man from Oregon was sentenced in a federal court for importing and exporting hundreds of live scorpions to and from Germany.
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