TWO inbound mainland travelers were caught by customs at Futian Checkpoint carrying more than 200 live lizards.

At 7 p.m. April 13, a woman with a satchel caught customs attention. During the inspection, the customs officers smelt a strange odor and later found that 100 lizards, each measuring around 10 cm, were being held in five net bags.

At around 10 p.m. that day, customs officers found another 100 lizards on a man, who later confessed to running a pet shop in Guangzhou.

At Luohu Checkpoint on Tuesday, a woman carrying a plastic bag raised suspicion and was requested for an inspection. Officers found several plastic bags, each containing different types of reptiles, including lizards and snakes.

According to a customs regulation, live animals (excluding dogs and cats), such as birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians and insects, are forbidden from entering the Chinese mainland for safety reasons. Live animals that have not been quarantined are likely to carry diseases that pose threats to the local ecological environment. (Han Ximin)