From a cursory look, at least two dozen US news organizations reported this story about African snails on their websites and TV broadcasts. We are not even counting the ones that reported the story in other forms.
It’s the custom of many African immigrants living in the United States that when they travel to the continent, on the way back they would try to take along some of the things they cherish.
Apparently, this practice of bringing things back created a customs snafu for one traveler on April 6. We are told an American citizen, coming into the US from Ghana via the John F. Kennedy International airport in New York had his “giant snails” seized by US customs because they were considered dangerous. The other things he had in his luggage included dried beef and spices.
It’s not exactly clear if the snails were meant for consumption or for something else. We did not hear the travelers’ own account of what took transpired.
KIRO 7 News
ABC 7 New York
https://abc7ny.com/giant-african-snails-land-jfk-airport-found-at/10499765/
New York Post
https://nypost.com/2021/04/08/invasive-giant-african-snails-seized-at-jfk-airport-officials/
Fox News
https://www.foxnews.com/travel/highly-invasive-giant-african-snails-caught-jfk