SHENZHEN: Chinese customs stopped a young woman who was attempting to smuggle 120 live lizards into Shenzhen from neighboring Hong Kong, authorities said. On Sunday, customs officials found the lizards concealed in ten string bags in the woman’s backpack as she tried to went through Futian Port in Guangdong Province, south China. The lizards were described as green and range from 20 to 30 centimeters in length. They have been quarantined for inspection.
The woman said she had been offered 200 yuan (around 30 U.S. dollars) to carry the lizards from Hong Kong to Shenzhen, where they would be sold as pets. “Live animals may carry pests or diseases that are harmful to humans and the environment,” said one customs official, identified only by his surname Wang. Shenzhen customs advised that only one pet (dog or cat) per person is permitted to enter the Chinese mainland.
