A Hong Kong man was detained by custom officers at the Lo Wu border crossing into Shenzhen on Saturday after he tried to smuggle four snakes, in black stockings, into China.
The man was found to have put the live snakes, each 40 centimeters long, in four stockings hidden in a handheld bag, according to a statement posted on the Shenzhen Enter-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau’s website. The news was not reported by Hong Kong media until Thursday.
The authority said the snakes, which were white and of a rare species, were confiscated as the man had not applied to import the reptiles and could not provide any quarantine certificate. It also urged the public not to bring live animals into the country as they may spread disease.