Inspectors seize six shipments of bloodsuckers in Philadelphia

March 10 (UPI) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, recently seized six air cargo shipments of bloodsuckers in Philadelphia.

The shipments contained nine plastic jars of the prohibited leeches, with about 300 in total.

The bloodsuckers arrived from Bulgaria from Feb. 19 to Feb. 25 and were set to be mailed to locations in Connecticut, Florida and Illinois.

The jars labeled the parasites as Hirudo Orientalis, however, a USFWS inspector correctly identified them as Hirudo Medicinalis, which are used in medical bloodletting treatments.

The bloodsuckers were seized due to violating the Endangered Species Act. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora also strictly regulates the international trade of specimens of wild animals and plants.

"Customs and Border Protection officers and agriculture specialists often encounter unique and interesting things, this jar full of icky bloodsuckers, while inspecting goods being imported to the United States. CBP officers remain committed to collaborating with federal, state and local law enforcement partners to intercept shipments that violate our nation's laws and potentially threaten harm to our nation's citizens and our economy," Joseph Martella, CBP's Area Point Director in Philadelphia said in a statement on Wednesday.