A man was apprehended while attempting to smuggle more than 100 live snakes into mainland China by stuffing them into his trousers, as reported by the country's customs authority.
The unidentified traveler was intercepted by customs officers as he attempted to leave semi-autonomous Hong Kong and enter the border city of Shenzhen, according to a statement released by China Customs on Tuesday.
Upon closer inspection, the customs officers discovered that the pockets of the trousers the passenger was wearing were filled with six canvas drawstring bags sealed with tape.
Upon opening the bags, each was found to contain various types of live snakes, in different shapes, sizes, and colors.
The officers confiscated 104 of these scaly creatures, including milk snakes and corn snakes, many of which were non-native species.
China is recognized as one of the world's major hubs for animal trafficking, but recent years have seen a crackdown on this illegal trade.
The country's laws on biosecurity and disease control prohibit the importation of non-native species without proper authorization.
The customs authority stated that those who violate these regulations will be held accountable under the law, though the specific punishment for the man was not detailed.
