A man was apprehended while attempting to smuggle over 100 live snakes into mainland China by stuffing them into his trousers, according to the country’s customs authority.
The unnamed traveler was intercepted by customs officers as he tried to cross from semi-autonomous Hong Kong into the border city of Shenzhen, China Customs reported in a statement on Tuesday.
“Upon inspection, customs officers discovered that the pockets of the trousers the passenger was wearing were packed with six canvas drawstring bags sealed with tape,” the statement said.
“Once opened, each bag was found to contain living snakes in various shapes, sizes, and colors,” it added.
Officers seized 104 snakes, including milk snakes and corn snakes, many of which were non-native species.
An accompanying video showed two border agents examining transparent plastic bags filled with squirming red, pink, and white snakes.
China is one of the world’s biggest hubs for animal trafficking, but authorities have intensified efforts to crack down on the illicit trade in recent years.
The country’s biosecurity and disease control laws prohibit people from bringing in non-native species without permission.
“Those who break the rules will be held liable in accordance with the law,” the customs authority said, without specifying the man’s punishment.
Source: AFP