Turkish customs officers intercepted a shipment of 76 tarantula hatchlings on Sunday that were illegally imported from Poland via post to the Marmaris district of the southwestern province of Muğla.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Commerce, the package was initially labeled as "aquarium plants."

However, upon inspection by the General Directorate of Customs Enforcement, it was discovered that the package contained 76 spiders confined in small glass tubes and wrapped in newspapers, the Demirören News Agency (DHA) reported.

Experts from Kırıkkale University identified that the seized tarantulas belonged to eight different species.

Following the necessary procedures, the baby tarantulas were handed over to the Biology Department of Sıtkı Koçman University.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing under the supervision of the Marmaris Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.