Citing China’s customs authority, media outlets reported on July 10 that a man has been caught trying to smuggle more than 100 live snakes into mainland China by cramming them into his trousers.
The BBC says the unnamed traveler was reportedly stopped by customs officers as he sought to slip out of semi-autonomous Hong Kong and into the border city of Shenzhen.
"Upon inspection, customs officers discovered that the pockets of the trousers the passenger was wearing were packed with six canvas drawstring bags and sealed with tape," China Customs was quoted as saying in a statement on Tuesday.
"Once opened, each bag was found to contain living snakes in all kinds of shapes, sizes and colors," the statement added.
The statement said officers seized 104 of the scaly reptiles, including milk snakes and corn snakes, many of which were non-native species.
CBS News reports that video released by Chinese Customs shows a pair of agents peering into transparent plastic bags filled with live red, pink and white snakes.
China is one of the world’s biggest animal trafficking hubs, but authorities have cracked down on the illicit trade in recent years.
The country’s biosecurity and disease control laws forbid people from bringing in non-native species without permission.
