A passenger tried to bring 20 small black raw chickens at Dulles International Airport.
Customs officials seized the off bundle from a passenger that had arrived from Vietnam. Importing raw poultry from countries that have had cases of avian flu is prohibited unless the passenger has a permit.
According to spokesman Steve Sapp, customs oficials found two cooler bags containing the raw birds. The birds were whole, but the sight of them still caught some off guard as they had no feathers and their skin was dark bluish-grey and black, the Daily Mail reports.
The passenger from Vietnam did not speak English and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at Dulles International Airport could not find a translator right away.
However they didn't need anyone to explain that the luggage wouldn't be allowed through. The agents ran the coolers through an X-ray machine and discovered the birds, which are Chinese Silkies, or black chickens. The chicken appeared to be heavily bruised as their skin is black and blue. The sight of them made some people sick, the Washington Post reports. Some people clutched their mouths and stomachs when they saw it.
People are used to white, fluffy chicken. Not bruised one. However no matter what type of bird they were, Customs was forced to seize and incinerate them as there are very strict restrictions on animal products that travelers can bring into the United States. Products like fresh, dried or canned meats or meat products are typically not allowed.
"Raw poultry from regions where highly pathogenic avian influenza, Exotic Newcastle disease or other fowl diseases have been known to occur are prohibited from importing to the United States without a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) permit," officials said in a recent press release.
The raw chickens weren't the only odd item that were seized from a US airport recently. Last week, customs officials seized items made from prohibited African elephant tusk ivory at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. A 57-year-old Nigerian man was trying to transport the products in his suitcase.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
