A smuggler attempting to transport 104 non-native live snakes was thwarted at a border station between Hong Kong and southern China Wednesday.
A would-be snake smuggler was apprehended at Futian Port in China, which borders Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
Chinese state media Weixin posted that the smuggler was attempting to transport 104 live snakes into China, where the reptiles can be legally farmed and eaten.
Live animals, however, cannot be legally transported across the border per Chinese law.
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According to a translation from the official Weixin post by China's custom authority, "During the inspection, customs officers found six canvas bags sealed with tape inside the pockets of the traveler’s pants."
"Upon opening the bags, they discovered multiple live snakes of various colors and shapes inside each bag," the post continued.
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According to the Weixin post, snakes native to North America like the Texas rat snake and the milk snake were discovered in the smuggler's trousers. The translated post refers to these reptiles as ‘alien species.’
