A Ghanaian man has been arrested and detained at Chicago Airport in the USA for arriving in the country with 11 giant snails he smuggled from Ghana.

In order to beat authorities to it, the man is said to have wrapped the pets in packaging and tape but was still caught by the vigilant authorities.

Upon interrogation, the man who was bringing them from Ghana claimed they were meant for consumption.

Authorities in the United States of America (USA) snails as invasive pests they claim are a very serious threat to their agriculture, natural ecosystem, public health and economy.

In Ghana however, snail meat is considered to have a high protein content and low in fat. The meat has over 20 different amino acids including the eight essential amino acids required by man and contains calcium, phosphorus, as well as selenium, boron, zinc and other micro elements.

There are more than 20 recipes of snails in Ghana