Sri Lanka's customs on Monday arrested and fined a Chinese man accused of trying to take 200 venomous scorpions out of the country in his checked-in luggage.
The man was suspected of trying to get the scorpions back to China to extract the venom, officials said.
The live arachnids were discovered by security officials at Colombo international airport in plastic containers packed in the man's luggage that was to be checked in.
"We detained the passenger and launched an investigation," customs spokesman Sunil Jayaratne said. "We have not placed a value on the 200 scorpions, but trafficking in live wildlife has become a lucrative trade."