One of the 900 tarantulas found in a passenger's luggage in Brazil Click photo to enlarge © Comunicaciones Polic a Federal HANDOUTEPA   Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 2009—Police in Brazil have arrested a passenger at Rio de Janeiro airport with 900 live spiders in his luggage.

The 26 year-old man had arrived on a flight from Paraguay and was on his way to the UK, where he runs a pet shop in London.

He now faces a fine of BRL1.3 million reais (USD760,000) or up to a year in jail.

According to an expert, 600 of the spiders were of a species found in Paraguay but not Brazil. The remainder could have come from either location.

Police officers stopped the man after an X-ray machine operator noted something unusual about the suitcases he was carrying.