A man was caught trying to smuggle more than 100 live snakes into mainland China by hiding them in his trousers. This incident was reported by China’s customs authority on Tuesday.

The unnamed man was stopped by customs officials as he tried to cross from Hong Kong into Shenzhen. During a routine check, the customs officers found something unusual.

“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 said. “Once opened, each bag was found to contain living snakes in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colours.”

In total, officers seized 104 snakes, including milk snakes and corn snakes. Many of these were non-native species. A video released by the authorities showed two border agents looking into clear plastic bags filled with the squirming snakes.

China has been a major hub for animal trafficking, but the government has recently been cracking down on this illegal trade. The country’s laws on biosecurity and disease control forbid bringing in non-native species without permission.

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

This incident shows the ongoing efforts of customs authorities to stop illegal wildlife trade and the importance of biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of invasive species.