Shenzhen, China

A man was detained by customs officers in China as he tried to smuggle more than 100 live snakes into the country by hiding them down his pants. China Customs said in a statement Tuesday (Jul 9) that the man was detained in the border city of Shenzhen and he was travelling from the semi-autonomous Hong Kong region. “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 read.

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

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A total of 104 reptiles were recovered, including milk snakes and corn snakes. Many of the reptiles were non-native to China. The customs made it clear that none of the reptiles was venomous. The incident happened some days back but the exact date was not revealed.

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The statement by the Chinese authorities didn't specify whether the man was arrested or not. However, the customs warned that “if the regulations are violated, the customs will pursue legal liability in accordance with the law.”

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China remains one the world's biggest animal trafficking hotspots, despite the fact that the authorities have cracked down on illicit trade. Chinese laws make it illegal to bring in non-native species without due permission.

(With inputs from agencies)