A man caught trying to smuggle 200 scorpions out of Sri Lanka

A Chinese smuggler nearly engineered a real-life sequel to Samuel L. Jackson’s Snakes on a Plane, being caught with hundreds of venomous scorpions inside his luggage at the airport in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo.

The scorpions were packed inside plastic containers. In total, there were 200 of the creatures. It’s unclear how the smuggler attempted to conceal that fact from inspectors.

Sri Lankan authorities have suggested that the man was attempting to take the scorpions back to China where he would extract their venom.

Like most things related to animals, scorpion venom is a traditional Chinese medicine ingredient. It’s used to treat neurological disorders like chronic pain, paralysis, strokes, and epilepsy, not to mention cancer.

Evidently, however, scorpion smuggling isn’t all that serious of a crime in Sri Lanka. The man was allowed to return back home after being fined 100,000 rupees ($551).