The dehydrated bodies of four dead monkeys were discovered by a police dog in luggage at customs at Boston Logan International Airport on Thursday, officials said.
The mummified bodies, considered prohibited bushmeat under federal law, were in a bag that belonged to a passenger who was returning to the U.S. from the Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa, according to a release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
CBP shared images of the monkeys' bodies, which appeared to be wrapped in a blanket, inside a basket which was inside a cardboard box.
The bodies were discovered during routine screening of baggage coming into the country at Logan airport, according to CBP. The police dog, Buddey, alerted the officer he works with to the luggage that was on a flight from Paris.
The passenger who the luggage belonged to was asked what was inside the bag, and told the agent that dried fish were all that was inside. The bag was x-rayed, which showed dried fish, but the bodies, which weighed nearly 9 lbs. in total, were discovered when an officer physically inspected the bag.
The bodies were marked to be destroyed, CBP said, at the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which regulates materials involving monkeys coming into the U.S. and said that the bag either had to be destroyed or returned to France.
Raw or minimally processed wild animal meat from certain locations around the world is referred to as bushmeat, and it's illegal to bring into the country. It carries a $250,000 fine, according to the CDC.
"The potential dangers posed by bringing bushmeat into the United States are real,” said Julio Cararvia, CBP's Boston area port director, in a statement. "Bushmeat can carry germs that can cause illness, including the Ebola virus. The work of CBP’s K9 unit and Agricultural Specialist were vital in preventing this potential danger from entering the U.S."
NBC10 Boston has reached out to CBP to see if the passenger, who wasn't identified, will face any charges over the bodies in the bag.
