US man charged with spider smuggling says he was released by Turkiye court

A curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York said, on Tuesday, he was released after Turkish authorities detained him on suspicion of trying to smuggle valuable poisonous spiders and scorpions out of the country, Reuters reports. Lorendo Prendini was arrested on Sunday at Istanbul Airport by Turkish police why said they seized dozens of bags from his luggage containing some 1,500 scorpions and spiders, including tarantulas, as well as dozens of plastic bottles containing unspecified liquids. Prendini told Reuters on Tuesday, via email, that he had appeared in court and was cleared of all charges. “I was completely cleared of all charges by a Turkish judge and released. I do not wish to comment further at this time,” […]