The Brussels-West police discovered a collection of 221 tarantulas, including several poisonous species, by accident in a rented flat in Jette, in Brussels, of which the tenant reportedly bred and sold the spiders himself.
According to reports, officers of the police zone Brussels-West discovered the spiders about two weeks ago during an investigation into a conflict between the owner and the tenant of one of the flats in a building on Rue Honoré Longtin in Jette. Other neighbours were also questioned, including the tenant who kept 221 tarantulas.
The police informed the public prosecutor’s office, which estimated that there was approximately €10,000 worth of spiders in the flat.
Later, an expert was sent to the scene, who found that of the 221 spiders, 26 proved to be particularly dangerous and aggressive.
The investigators also found that two terrariums were left open without lids and were positioned near a window, meaning there was a heightened risk of one of the spiders escaping.
All spiders have since been confiscated and taken to a specialised centre in Germany.
The tenant, a Polish man who said he was passing through and was “exchanging” the spiders between Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland, was questioned, and an official report was drawn up for illegal possession of and trade in these spiders. He has since hired a lawyer to try and get his spiders back.
