Giant African Snails Seized At Los Angeles Airport

U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspectors have destroyed a live shipment of 67 giant African snails at Los Angeles International Airport. 

Officials said on Monday that the 35 pounds of snails arrived from Nigeria along with paperwork stating they were for human consumption.

 According to officials, the molluscs can cause meningitis in humans and eat sand, stones, bones and concrete. They also claim the species carries parasites and can wipe out agricultural crops and indigenous animals.

Officials say the snails were intercepted July 1 and they were subsequently identified after a sample was sent to U.S. Department of Agriculture specialists in Washington, D.C. A photograph released by the agency shows a person using two hands to hold a single snail.