Illegal animal trafficking: 15 dead pangolins seized from suitcase at Madrid-Barajas airport

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Officers from the Guardia Civil's tax and border unit at the Spanish capital's airport intercepted the suitcase and discovered the dead specimens, all wrapped up in plastic

C.P.S.

Madrid

Thursday, 26 February 2026, 14:49

Guardia Civil officers have seized 15 dead pangolins, wrapped in plastic, from a suitcase that arrived on a flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

These animals are protected under the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora (CITES).

On 16 February, officers from the tax and border unit - a unit that investigates smuggling, drug trafficking, fraud and other tax-related offences - at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, conducted tax inspections on passengers arriving on a flight from Addis Ababa.

During the X-ray inspection, they discovered an irregularity in a passenger's suitcase that showed different shading and densities that caught the attention of the authorities.

Upon opening the luggage in front of its owner, authorities found 15 pangolins wrapped in plastic, weighing a total of 40kg. These animals are listed in Appendix One of the CITES catalogue, the independent body that regulates international trade in protected species.

Illegal trafficking of protected species poses a serious threat to biodiversity and is punishable by imprisonment and fines, according to Spain's penal code. For this reason, the passenger has been investigated as the alleged perpetrator of a wildlife crime and the specimens have been sent to the national CITES authority for study, cataloguing and assessment.