Man caught smuggling over 100 snakes in his trousers into China

China is among the world's largest hubs for animal trafficking, and recent years have seen authorities intensify efforts against the illegal trade.

Five species of snakes were identified – the milk snake, western hognose snake, corn snake, Texas rat snake and bullsnake – out of which four were reported to be non-native to China. (File Photo)

A man was apprehended attempting to smuggle over 100 live snakes into mainland China by stuffing them into his trousers, China’s customs authority reported.

The unnamed traveller was intercepted by customs officers as he tried to cross into Shenzhen from Hong Kong, China Customs disclosed 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 and sealed with tape,” the statement said.

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

Story continues below this ad

According to a report by AFP, officers confiscated 104 reptiles, of which most species are venomous.

Five species of snakes were identified – the milk snake, western hognose snake, corn snake, Texas rat snake and bullsnake – out of which four were reported to be non-native to China.

In a video, two border agents were seen examining transparent plastic bags filled with wriggling red, pink, and white snakes.

The statement said the incident occurred “a few days ago,” but did not specify when.

Story continues below this ad

China is among the world’s largest hubs for animal trafficking, and recent years have seen authorities intensify efforts against the illegal trade.

Under China’s biosecurity and disease control laws, bringing in non-native species without permission is prohibited.

“Those who break the rules will be… held liable in accordance with the law,” AFP reported the customs authority as stating, without specifying the man’s punishment.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

‘Given stale food, locked up’: Truck cleaner on ‘abduction’ horror at Khedkar residence

Cities1 hr ago

A truck cleaner in Navi Mumbai was rescued by the police after being abducted by the father of a sacked IAS officer. The victim was held captive, given stale food, and threatened with murder. The accused demanded compensation for their damaged car and threatened to kill the victim if not paid. The accused have been charged with extortion and destruction of evidence.

View all shorts

Live Blog