Alligator heads and guns intercepted in mail

Alligator and crocodile heads, ivory tusks, guns, and swords were among the weird, wonderful and downright dangerous items seized in the mail last year.

Information provided by Revenue shows that 261 firearms, 779 other weapons, and 27 packages containing either heroin or cocaine were among the items intercepted by An Post at its mail centres in 2016.

Among the unexpected items intercepted before they landed in someone’s mail box were endangered specimens as defined by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Among the seven CITES seizures last year was a consignment of eight alligator heads posted from the US in January. A crocodile head, understood to be larger than the fist-sized alligator heads, was seized in September, having been sent from Cambodia.

Five conch shells posted from America were intercepted in May, as was an ivory tusk, origin unknown. Three pieces of suspected coral sent from the Bahamas landed in an An Post mail centre last August, while an ivory hippo tusk sent from South Africa was seized in April and a siamese crocodile skin wallet mailed from Thailand was intercepted in February.

As for the 261 firearms, Revenue said they included lasers, stun-guns, tear gas, and pepper-spray, while the 779 items seized under the Firearms & Offensive Weapons Act include samurai swords, telescopic batons, and knuckledusters.

A small amount of fireworks and pyrotechnics were also intercepted.

There were 693 seizures of cannabis last year, the highest amount since 2010.

Revenue has personnel at all An Post mail centres.