A man has been apprehended trying to smuggle over 100 live snakes into mainland China by concealing them in his trousers, as reported by the country’s customs authority.

The unnamed traveller was stopped by customs officers as he attempted to move from semi-autonomous Hong Kong to the border city of Shenzhen. According to a statement from China Customs on Tuesday, officers discovered the snakes during a routine inspection.

“Upon inspection, customs officers discovered that the pockets of the trousers the passenger was wearing were packed with six canvas drawstring bags and sealed with tape,” the statement revealed. “Once opened, each bag was found to contain living snakes in all kinds of shapes, sizes and colours.”

Officers seized a total of 104 snakes, including milk snakes and corn snakes, many of which were non-native species. An accompanying video showed two border agents examining transparent plastic bags filled with squirming red, pink, and white snakes.

China, known as one of the world’s major animal trafficking hubs, has intensified its crackdown on the illicit trade in recent years. The country's biosecurity and disease control laws prohibit the importation of non-native species without permission.

“Those who break the rules will be… held liable in accordance with the law,” the customs authority stated, although they did not specify the man's punishment.

This incident underscores the ongoing challenges and stringent measures in place to combat animal trafficking and ensure biosecurity within China.