Border protection K-9 sniffs out mummified monkey remains at Boston airport, suspect arrested: officials

 An airline passenger was arrested at Boston's Logan International Airport this week after trying to illegally import four mummified monkeys from the Democratic Republic of Congo, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a release. Was.

The arrest was made Thursday after CBP K-9 Unit Budde sniffed out the monkeys after the suspect's Delta flight landed from Paris on Thursday.

The remains are called "bushmeat", meaning raw or minimally processed meat of wild animals, which is illegal in the US due to the risk of disease.

"The potential dangers posed by bringing bushmeat into the United States are real," CBP Boston Area Port Director Julio Caravia said in a statement. He said, "Bushmeat may contain pathogens that can cause disease, including the Ebola virus. The work of CBP's K9 unit and agricultural specialists was critical in preventing this potential threat from entering the United States."

Florida's fish and wildlife targets illegal trafficking of cobras, vipers and other venomous snakes

The unidentified suspect initially told officers that the bag contained only dried fish.

X-rays did not reveal the remains, but monkeys were found during a physical inspection of the suspect's belongings.

Customs agents seize mysterious 'bushmeat' at NJ airport

According to FOX 25, the remains were wrapped in a blanket that was inside a basket in a box.

CBP said it immediately contacted the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC said the bags containing the monkeys should either be destroyed or sent back to Paris.

CBP said the bags will be destroyed.

CBP did not say what charges the suspect may face.