RIO DE JANEIRO, November 13 (RIA Novosti) - A Briton trying to smuggle out 1,000 live spiders in his luggage was detained in Rio de Janeiro airport, Brazilian police said.

When airport officials opened the man's cases after security X-rays detected suspicious movement in his luggage, they discovered hundreds of spiders, crawling in individual boxes, police said.

The incident took place on Wednesday. According to a police statement, the live cargo was taken by Brazil's environmental agency for examination and then handed over to a museum in Rio's federal university.

The suspected smuggler, a British national, was questioned and released on bail pending a court date. He faces a prison term up to one year and a fine up to 4 million Brazilian reals ($2.35 million) if found guilty of animal smuggling, police said.

Animal trafficking is considered a serious crime in Brazil, and authorities frequently detain people trying to smuggle live cargo out of the country.