Kunming Customs seizes 163 ants hidden in an inbound passenger's waist Photo: WeChat account of China's General Administration of Customs

According to China's General Administration of Customs on Tuesday, customs officers in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan Province recently found a nervous and abnormal gaited inbound passenger during supervision at the Nanxi River inspection channel. 

The officers conducted an inspection and found 163 ants hidden in the passenger's waist. After identification, it was determined that these ants were messor barbarus.

Messor barbarus is an exotic species that is aggressive, engages in group warfare, and prefers to eat seeds of grass species. It has strong adaptability and reproductive capacity, and once introduced and dispersed, it can easily cause biological invasions, posing a threat to local organisms and the ecological environment once they form a population. 

The customs reminded that according to relevant laws and regulations, it is not allowed to introduce exotic species without approval, and it is prohibited to carry or mail live animals and plants into the country. Those who violate the regulations will be held legally responsible by customs.

Global Times