BERLIN (AP) — German customs officers say they have found and destroyed 20 rotten snake heads found in a package that had arrived from Nigeria.

A spokeswoman for Munich's main customs office said Wednesday that officers discovered the snake parts when they X-rayed a three-kilogram (6.6-pound) package last week.

Marie Mueller said that when officers then opened the parcel the stench of the rotten snake heads was "simply overwhelming and unbearable."

Mueller said the snake heads were immediately burned to prevent the spread of possible diseases.

She said the customs office has repeatedly intercepted packages from western Africa with snake heads which are sent to Germany as a delicacy.