Two Russians and a Ukranian were apprehended at Lima's international airport attempting to smuggle 8,000 dead Amazonian insects out of Peru, environmental authorities said Thursday.
"Thousands of the insects were found stuffed in plastic containers and hidden in suitcases," police chief Hildebrando Prado told AFP.
Russians Boris Zhuravlev and Vladimir Vakhlalov and Ukrainian Serhiy Vashchenko told authorities they were taking the insects for their personal collections.
It is forbidden to remove insects, dead or alive, from the country without a permit from the National Institute of Natural Resources, said Prado.
Among the insects seized were butterflies, beetles, crickets, millipedes and scorpions.
The haul had an estimated domestic worth of 30,000 dollars, and could top 150,000 dollars on the international market, according to Prado.
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