She tried to slither right past customs.
A woman was stopped at a Chinese border-crossing point last month when customs agents noticed her “weird” body shape — and found five live corn snakes stuffed inside her bra.
The lumpy passenger had wrapped the critters in stockings and strapped them to her chest in an attempt to smuggle them through the Futian Port in Shenzhe, a city that links Hong Kong to China’s mainland, according to the South China Morning Post.
Agents said the unidentified smuggler’s strange shape gave away her scheme.
Customs didn’t disclose the woman’s intent for sneaking the slithering creatures into the country, or what charges she faces, but noted that the snakes were safely handed over to zoo officials.
Corn snakes, sometimes called red rat snakes, are native to the southeastern United States.
The creatures — known for their mild character and bright colors — have been growing in popularity among Chinese animal lovers, the newspaper said.
Reptile collectors account for 5.8 percent of China’s tens of millions of pet owners, according to a 2021 report.
China’s customs regulations prohibit any animals from entering the country from abroad without undergoing undergo quarantine examinations to prevent the introduction of invasive species and disease transmission.
Though the smuggler was willing to go to any measures to bring the five corn snakes into the country, other mainland Chinese social media viewers expressed shock at the lengths she went to.
“I wouldn’t even touch them, never mind hide them in my bra,” said one commenter said on a post made on China Customs’ official WeChat.
“I won’t even look at snakes on my phone,” said another.
Others were more impressed with the eagle-eye officials who noticed the woman’s strange shape: “It is amazing that the officers are able to spot people with weird figures or expressions in the crowd.”
It is the second time in just two months that a smuggler was caught trying to sneak live snakes through the Chinese port.
In June, a man was arrested for hiding six live ball pythons — a threatened species and popular exotic pet — inside his cotton socks.
Smugglers have also been caught trying to sneak in non-living, though bizarre objects.
Last month, a man was caught hiding 112 Nintendo Switch game cards in his shoes at the same Futian port.
In January, a woman was found to have hidden 2,415 SD cards in her underwear after agents noticed she was walking in a “strange” way.
