- The man was attempting to smuggle the snakes into China
- He had a variety of species of snake hidden in his pants – but none were venomous
- China is a well-known destination for wildlife trafficking
All those with a fear of snakes look away now – a man with 104 live snakes hidden in his pants was caught by border customs trying to smuggle them into China.
The unnamed man was caught at a port between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, when he tried to go through a ‘no declaration channel’, according to a statement from border customs.
Trouser shock
When he was stopped, officials were shocked to discover that lurking in his pants were six sealed bags containing the snakes. Various types of snakes were in the haul, including Texas rat snakes, corn snakes, milk snakes and bullsnakes.
A video that has been released – and gone viral – shows border agents holding up two bags filled with the snakes.
None of the snakes were venomous – luckily for the would-be smuggler, one would think – but several of the species of snake are alien to China, so bringing them into the country could violate Chinese biosafety laws.
Sought after
Snakes are sought after in China by people who want them as exotic pets. Indeed, China is the world’s biggest hotspot for illegal wildlife trafficking, according to the Global Organized Crime Index, although Chinese authorities are trying to crack down on the trade.
There have been other recent attempts to smuggle live creatures into China that have made the headlines, including a person who had bags containing endangered species of turtles.
The would-be smuggler has been held by authorities and will be dealt with in accordance to the law, according to the customs authority – although no punishment was outlined.
