Police seize 6.5 tons of smuggled snakes, tortoises

Border police seized more than 6.5 metric tons of live wild animals in a major smuggling case in the city of Fangchenggang in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region late last week.

According to a press release from the region's public security department, police seized 2,200 kilograms of mud snakes, 4,100 kg of cobras and 200 kg of tortoises from a cargo vehicle near a market in the border city of Dongxing in a special inspection launched on June 15.

Police seized the animals, which were contained in 160 cases, before they were transported to Guangzhou, Guangdong province. Most were found alive and were sent on June 16 to the local forestry department for treatment and eventual release to the wild. Police suspect the cargo vehicle planned to travel to Guangxi from outside the mainland.

The case is still under investigation.