Han Ximin

1824295095@qq.com

A COLONY of 4,750 ants in 80 tubes was recently discovered in an inbound parcel by Shenzhen Customs with the help of intelligent image analysis technologies.

The tubes, filled with moisturized cotton and ventilation holes, were deceptively packed in a cylindrical box hidden inside a toy drum, making visual detection by humans difficult. However, the ants were easily spotted with the help of x-ray scanners.

In recent years, Shenzhen Customs has cracked down on the illegal trade of exotic pets from overseas. The smuggling has become more covert, which poses a significant challenge to safeguarding the country’s biological and ecological safety.

Empowered by smart imaging and scanning technologies, customs officers are now able to conduct non-intrusive package inspections to identify abnormalities. So far this year, Shenzhen Customs has intercepted several illegal packages including shrews hidden in plastic lunch boxes, ants concealed in Lego packaging, and crickets stashed in plastic bottles.

The entry of exotic pets could carry pathogenic micro-organisms and other harmful organisms, which not only have the potential to affect human health, but also pose a severe threat to agriculture, forestry, livestock farming, and the native ecological.