Snake Hell: which exotic animals were illegally imported into Russia

The smuggling of rare animals and dangerous goods remains an acute problem: in 2025, customs officers stopped a series of daring attempts at illegal import and export. They tried to bring Red Book parrots from Central Asia, exotic beetles from Peru, and even raw jellyfish meat from Vietnam to Russia, a product that is dangerous to health. At the same time, attempts to export falcons from the country, as well as products from Amur tigers, bears and deer, were stopped. The information about what happens to animals and goods seized at customs can be found in the Izvestia article.

What exotic items were found at customs

23 criminal cases under the article on the smuggling of especially valuable wild animals, aquatic biological resources, plants and fungi were initiated in 2025, the Federal Customs Service (FCS) told Izvestia.

— The roots of wild ginseng, derivatives, in particular musk musk, saiga antlers, pine nuts and matsutake mushrooms, as well as the Serval cat, birds of the order parrotlike Psittaciformes, were moved. The total market value of the displaced goods amounted to 85.5 million rubles, the ministry said.

Last year, 489 cases of administrative offenses were initiated, most of which were related to non-compliance with prohibitions or restrictions on the movement of goods. The total cost of the items was 21.5 million rubles.

— Last summer, Tatarstan customs officers stopped the import of red-skinned parrots from Central Asia. Their market value exceeded 1.6 million rubles," the FCS added. — Eight birds were found in a wooden box. The owner did not provide permits for them, but explained that he had purchased the parrots for breeding and further sale.

The seized birds were identified as "Red—tailed Jacko" - the species is included in the international Red Book, and trade in them has been banned worldwide since 2016. A criminal case was opened against the man. The parrots were placed in the Kazan Zoo.

In the fall of 2025, postal customs officers in Moscow discovered 200 dried exotic beetles in parcels from Peru addressed to residents of the Stavropol Territory. Experts estimated the cost of the insects at 1.5 million rubles, among the samples there were the world's largest night lumberjack, a titan with a length of almost 20 cm, weevil beetles and rhinoceros beetles.

"Coleoptera were detected using an X-ray machine during the inspection of two mail items," the FCS noted. — Each individual was attached to a cardboard backing and was under a thick cellophane. Due to the lack of veterinary import permits, the parcels were returned to the sender.

In addition, customs officers prevented the illegal export of falcons and raccoons.

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What else can't be transported

Often, not only live animals become objects of smuggling from Russia, but also their remains — claws, fangs, paws, reproductive organs, tusks, skulls, horns. Products made from Amur tigers, bears and deer are also popular with intruders.

— Customs officers try to transfer objects of value to museums. Thus, the horn of a woolly rhinoceros, detained by Blagoveshchensk customs officers, was transferred to the oldest regional museum of local lore in the Far East.

Another attempt to export archaeological finds was stopped in June 2025: postal customs officers stopped the shipment to the UAE of the fossilized remains of an ancient mammoth — five teeth and four fragments of a tusk.

"The examination confirmed that the fossilized remains of the mammal belong to a representative of an extinct fauna — the ancient woolly mammoth — and are cultural treasures," the customs service added. — When exporting such items, permission from the Russian Ministry of Culture is required.

In addition to exotic animals, meat, milk, eggs, and honey from other countries were seized at customs last year, the regional offices of the Rosselkhoznadzor told Izvestia.

For example, more than 70 kg of meat, dairy and fish products from Great Britain and the European Union were not allowed to enter the country through the territory of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, 20 tons of fish from New Zealand from the Pskov Region, and more than one ton of meat, eggs, fish, and honey from Lithuania, Poland, and Germany from the Kaliningrad Region. Spain.

Goods that may pose a threat to the health of Russians are being sent back or destroyed. This is how customs officers dealt with 3 kg of raw jellyfish meat found in October 2025 in the luggage of a foreign citizen at Irkutsk airport.

"The man who arrived from Hanoi (Vietnam) explained that he had brought food for personal use,— the FCS said. — In order to avoid the spread of infections that pose a threat to humans and animals, the products were seized and handed over to an airline representative for export on the return flight.

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What is the penalty for smuggling

Before any trip abroad, you should study the rules for the movement of goods, both in force in Russia and established by the country of destination, the customs department recalled.

Special attention should be paid to endangered specimens of flora and fauna subject to the CITES Convention. These include, for example, products made from reptilian skin and bones, ivory, turtle shell, as well as live plants and stuffed animals.

A phytosanitary certificate is almost always required for the import of plants, seeds and planting materials. Certain products of animal origin, such as meat, milk, and honey, are also prohibited for free import: they may pose a biological hazard.

As explained by lawyer and human rights activist Ekaterina Alexandrovich, smuggling is considered to be the illegal movement of a wide variety of goods across the border: from motor vehicles and jewelry to valuable wood species, animals (or parts thereof) and prohibited substances, including narcotic and psychotropic substances.

Depending on the volume of the shipment, the circumstances of the case and the category of goods, violators face heavy fines or imprisonment for up to 20 years.