Beijing — A person has been caught making an attempt to smuggle over 100 stay snakes into mainland China by cramming them into his trousers, in accordance with the nation’s customs authority. The unnamed traveler was stopped by customs officers as he sought to slide out of semi-autonomous Hong Kong and into the border metropolis of Shenzhen, China Customs mentioned in an announcement Tuesday.
“Upon inspection, customs officers found that the pockets of the trousers the passenger was sporting had been filled with six canvas drawstring luggage and sealed with tape,” the assertion mentioned.
“As soon as opened, every bag was discovered to include residing snakes in every kind of shapes, sizes and colours,” it added.
The assertion mentioned officers seized 104 of the scaly reptiles, together with milk snakes and corn snakes, lots of which had been non-native species. An accompanying video confirmed two border brokers peering into clear plastic luggage crammed with squirming crimson, pink and white snakes.
China is likely one of the world’s largest animal trafficking hubs, however authorities have cracked down on the illicit commerce lately.
The nation’s biosecurity and illness management legal guidelines forbid individuals from bringing in non-native species with out permission.
“Those that break the principles can be… held liable in accordance with the regulation,” the customs authority mentioned, with out specifying the person’s punishment.