CHANGSHA, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Changsha Post Office Customs in central China's Hunan Province said Wednesday that they had seized 145 live ants, housed in 19 tubes, that were found inside stuffed toys.
The ants belong to six species that have no natural distribution in China, sources with the customs said.
Customs discovered the ants in three inbound mail packages. Scans of these packages revealed abnormalities, with stitch marks on several stuffed toys drawing attention and resulting in further investigation.
"Exotic pets" such as ants, beetles and other species have been repeatedly intercepted in recent times, according to Luo Zhiping, an officer at Changsha Post Office Customs.
Luo added that the illegal import of alien species not only had the potential to spread diseases, but also posted a threat to biodiversity, the ecological environment and agricultural production. ■
