A man was apprehended at the China border for attempting to smuggle 104 live snakes concealed in his pants.

• According to China's customs authority, six large plastic bags filled with snakes were carried by the man.
• International experts report that Hong Kong serves as a significant transit hub for the illegal wildlife trade, making China the world's most notorious destination for this illicit activity.

This week, a man was caught at the Chinese border for attempting to smuggle 104 live snakes in his pants, as per the customs authority's report.

Officials stated on Tuesday that an animal trafficker attempted to evade a "no declaration channel" at a port linking Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

Officers found six sealed bags with exotic snakes, including milk, western hognose, corn, Texas rat, and bullsnakes, upon inspecting a man's trousers.

A video revealed two border agents displaying large transparent bags containing a variety of colorful live reptiles, which are commonly sought after as exotic pets.

At least four of the serpent species found in China are not native to the country, which could potentially violate Chinese biosafety law.

The customs authority stated that they would legally hold the man accountable according to the law without specifying a specific penalty.

Live animals are often smuggled into China, despite it being illegal to do so.

In 2023, a woman was reportedly stopped at the crossing point with five pet snakes concealed in her bra.

This month, customs discovered someone attempting to smuggle over 400 hermit and land crabs through Shanghai's Pudong airport. Additionally, a person was caught entering a border checkpoint from Macao with bags of almost 20 endangered turtles.

The Global Organized Crime Index, funded by the U.S. and EU governments, reports that despite efforts to control it, China is the world's largest destination for illegal wildlife trafficking.

Hong Kong is a significant transit hub for re-exporters in the illegal wildlife trade due to "inadequate traceability systems."

In 2023, a Hong Kong man was charged by the U.S. Department of Justice with attempting to smuggle 40 protected turtles from the U.S. to Hong Kong. Court documents claimed he had previously smuggled over 1,500 turtles, with a market value of more than $2 million.

Since 2010, Hong Kong Customs has confiscated over $128 million worth of illegal wildlife products, including 34 tonnes of ivory, according to the World Wildlife Fund.