Chinese Customs Arrest Man With 104 Snakes In His Pants

Milk snakes, field snakes, gophers, Texas ratsnakes, and eastern hognose snakes are among the most common snake species in the United States. In other parts of the world, however, such as China, these non-native reptiles are illegal due to their invasive potential. Unfortunately, this has also created a lucrative black market for exotic pets. But even so, it’s unclear what potential profits would drive someone to stuff 104 live snakes down their pants.

That’s what an unnamed man recently attempted to do after declaring he had “nothing to declare” while travelling from Hong Kong to mainland China. The Washington Post On July 11, Chinese authorities announced the arrest of the alleged smuggler at Futian Port, one of the world’s busiest land border crossings.

According to a July 9 statement from Chinese customs, officers recently discovered six drawstring canvas bags sealed with tape and stuffed into the suspect’s pants pockets containing “a number of colorful and varied live snakes.”

Despite the title of the statement, which automatically translates to “Western Poison,” it’s worth noting that none of the five species are actually venomous. But just because they’re not venomous doesn’t mean they don’t pose a legitimate threat to the region. The exotic creatures often accidentally become invasive species and cause problems for local communities, disrupting already fragile food chains and ecosystems.

The United States is no stranger to this kind of problem. Burmese ball pythons, for example, have been invading the Florida Everglades since their owners began releasing them into the wild in the 1980s. South American nutria continue to decimate vegetation in Louisiana, California and along the entire Atlantic coast.

Public health issues must also be considered. China banned the transport, trade, and poaching of wild animals in January 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a ban that remains in place to this day. Meanwhile, the Biosafety Law of the People’s Republic of China prohibits the introduction of any foreign species without official permission.

(Related: Montana Traffickers Illegally Cloned Frankensheep Hybrids for Sport Hunting.)

The recent case of a snake-laden traveler is just one in a long line of similar situations, particularly since China launched its three-year crackdown on wildlife trafficking in 2023. Customs officials have discovered a woman hiding 15 snakes and four giant Amazonian millipedes in her clothing, and another trying to smuggle five snakes in her tank top in the past year. Chinese law stipulates that smugglers like the recent snake-laden traveler can face fines of up to 50,000 yuan (nearly $7,000) as well as possible additional criminal charges.

China is far from alone in its fight against wildlife trafficking. In 2022, U.S. officials arrested a man who tried to enter the country with 52 lizards and snakes in his clothing.