Port customs officials arrested a woman who had the bones of a lion strapped to her thigh in order to smuggle them into the country.
The woman was subjected to a routine spot check when she arrived at Hekou Port, in Yunnan Province in south-western China, where she was one of the passengers travelling from Vietnam through the Nanxi River inspection channel.
During their routine patrol, they observed an inbound female traveller with an unusual gait. The officers intercepted the individual for further inspection.
Upon examination, they discovered two packages containing a total of 1.1 kilogrammes (2.4 lbs) of what looked like animal bones, which were concealed under the woman’s thigh.
The Yunnan Endangered Species Committee Judicial Identification Center subsequently identified the bones as belonging to lions. Lions are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
According to the Customs Law of the People’s Republic of China and related regulations, the import and export of endangered species and their products without proper permits is illegal and may lead to criminal prosecution.
The case is under further investigation by Hekou Customs to determine any potential legal violations and enforce appropriate measures.
Online commentators like ‘She And The Spring’ said: “This person is too weird.”
And user ‘Heating Home’ said: “How did that person get in? Those two bones are so big.”
While the user ‘Purple Sky’ said: “This a criminal offence.”
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below. Story By: Aloysius Fernandes, Sub-Editor: Simona Kitanovska, Agency: AsiaWire Report
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