Snakes were found in the underwear of a girl and three other passengers in a Chinese port (4 photos)

Customs officers at Futian Port (Huanggang, China) found eight royal pythons that four women were trying to smuggle in by hiding them in their bras.





The attention of customs officers was drawn to a passenger in a black polka dot top who was visibly nervous and in a hurry to pass inspection. She was asked to go to a separate room for a detailed inspection. As a result, two live snakes were found in the woman's bra, wrapped in cotton socks. In a similar manner, six more snakes were found in the possession of three other women who arrived at the port.



During interrogation, the detainees stated that they acted on behalf of an unidentified person who paid them to transport the snakes. According to the results of the examination conducted by the Technical Center for Quarantine and Inspection of Animals and Plants of the Shenzhen Customs, all eight snakes turned out to be royal pythons - a species listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

According to the CITES Convention and the laws of the PRC, the import and export of endangered species is strictly prohibited. Violation of these rules may result in criminal liability.





The fate of the smugglers will now be decided by law enforcement agencies.

Royal pythons are in demand due to their exotic appearance and relatively easy maintenance in captivity. However, their illegal trafficking threatens the preservation of the species' population in the wild. China is actively combating the smuggling of rare animals, tightening border controls.