
A man was apprehended by customs officers in Hong Kong for allegedly attempting to smuggle over a hundred live snakes into mainland China in his trousers pockets.
The customs officials at Futian Port found five distinct types of snakes in the man’s pockets, all contained in sealed bags.
The individual was stopped by customs officials in Shenzhen, a city in southern China, while passing through Futian Port, a border crossing separating Hong Kong and China, according to a statement released by the agency.
Police discovered six tape-sealed canvas drawstring bundles in his trousers pockets during an examination. The packages were discovered by the officers to contain several live snakes of different colors and forms, according to authorities. There were 104 snakes discovered after counting.
Images and video captured by Chinese media outlets show customs officials inspecting many bags containing reptiles. These reptiles were eventually determined to be bullsnakes, western hognose snakes, milk snakes, corn snakes, and Texas rat snakes. Officials made note that none of them were venomous.
While the customs department would not confirm or deny whether the man was detained, it did issue a warning that legal action would be taken against anyone found to have broken the law.
Elsewhere, in a lake near the Quebec border, the Vermont Border Patrol detained a Chinese national who was trying to bring 29 endangered eastern box turtles on a kayak into Canada.
A statement from an agent filed in federal court says that Wan Yee Ng was caught on June 28 in Canaan. She was getting ready to put her duffel bag on an inflatable boat on Lake Wallace.
The charge says that the turtles were found in her duffle bag by the police. Each turtle was surrounded by a different pair of socks. The statement says that each turtle is sold on the black market in China for $1,000.