40 chick-hatching eggs hidden by wine glasses intercepted in Philly
The eggs, sent from the Netherlands, were destroyed because avian commodities are prohibited from being imported from foreign countries without a permit.
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Forty incubated eggs for chick-hatching disguised as wine glasses — it’s not something you see every day.
But that’s what U.S. Customs and Border Protection found July 24 at a checkpoint in Philadelphia.
The hatching eggs were discovered by CBP agriculture specialists when they arrived by air cargo from the Netherlands, officials said Thursday. When specialists opened the package, which was ultimately being sent to Maine, they discovered the eggs hidden under a layer of plastic wine glasses.
Per typical regulations, Department of Agriculture Veterinary Services ordered the eggs to be destroyed.
Avian commodities — including eggs meant for hatching — are prohibited from being sent in from a foreign country without a permit.
Authorities warned of a potential avian influenza if the eggs had been allowed to continue their journey.
“The introduction of highly pathogenic avian influenza into the United States poses a potentially devastating impact to our nation’s poultry industry, while also threatening the health and safety of our citizens,” Casey Durst, director of CBP’s Baltimore field office, said in a statement.
CBP did not provide any information concerning the sender or intended recipient of the eggs.