WATCH | MAN CAUGHT SMUGGLING OVER 100 LIVE SNAKES IN TROUSERS

Fri 12 July 2024:

A man attempted to smuggle over 100 live snakes into mainland China by hiding them in his trousers, according to China’s customs authority.

The unnamed individual was intercepted by customs officers while trying to cross from semi-autonomous Hong Kong to Shenzhen, the customs authority stated on Tuesday.

“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,” the statement revealed.

WATCH | MAN CAUGHT SMUGGLING OVER 100 LIVE SNAKES IN TROUSERS pic.twitter.com/zwxa6TnyPb

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) July 11, 2024

“Once opened, each bag was found to contain living snakes in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colours,” it added.

Officers confiscated 104 snakes, including milk snakes and corn snakes, many of which were non-native species. A video accompanying the statement showed border agents examining transparent plastic bags filled with squirming red, pink, and white snakes.

China is a major hub for animal trafficking, but recent years have seen a crackdown on the illegal trade. The country’s biosecurity and disease control laws prohibit the import of non-native species without permission.

__________________________________________________________________________