A female traveller was caught trying to smuggle more than 400 beetles hidden among food packages in her suitcase.
The woman, whose identity was not revealed, was arriving at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, China’s third busiest airport located in Guandong Province, when she was pulled aside for inspection.
An X-ray image of her luggage revealed peculiar insect-shaped contents and customs officers decided to inspect the inside manually.
They were stunned to discover countless beetles individually wrapped in transparent plastic film, with some still alive and crawling among the packages of food they were hidden under.
Further investigation revealed the beetles seized in the passenger’s suitcase included 11 species such as the Javanese flat beetle, Atlas rhinoceros beetle, Goliathus orientalis, and the orange-backed stag beetle, totalling 125 specimens of the latter.
In total, agents discovered 439 beetles in the woman’s baggage.
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These beetles have no natural distribution in China and are considered alien species, the Customs Department said on 27th March.
According to China’s Biosecurity Law, Quarantine Law for the Import and Export of Animals and Plants. And their implementing regulations, it is illegal to introduce alien species without approval. And carrying or mailing live animals and plants into the country is prohibited.
The Customs Department warned that anyone who violates these laws will be held legally accountable, although it did not specify what legal consequences the woman will be facing.
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Story By: Simona Kitanovska, Sub-Editor: Georgina Jedikovska, Agency: Asia Wire Report
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