A woman was caught hiding 1kg of live worms in her trousers after being stopped at customs.
Officers grew suspicious when her unusual posture and a “bulging” crotch drew their attention.
A search revealed over 1kg of live bamboo worms tucked into her pants, as captured on CCTV, as reported by Need To Know.
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She was one of three people intercepted trying to smuggle the insects into the country.
Kunming Customs’ Xishuangbanna branch in China said the woman’s “abnormal physical condition” raised alarm.
The stop and search took place at the Menglong passenger inspection channel in Jinghong City, Yunnan Province.
Officers also noticed two other passengers travelling with her behaving strangely.
A second woman was found with 2kg of live insects hidden in a stocking around her waist, while the third passenger had four separate bags of worms in her pockets and backpack.
Bamboo worms are a local delicacy and can fetch a high price on the market.
Travellers have been warned that live insects are prohibited from being brought into the country.
Liu Debing, section chief of Xishuangbanna Customs, said: “That day, when we were monitoring inbound passengers, we noticed a woman walking with an unusual gait.
“Her lower abdomen had a noticeable bulge, leading us to suspect she might be carrying contraband.
“We immediately stopped her and arranged for female staff to conduct an inspection.
“We subsequently found over 1 kilogram of live insects in her pants.
“We noticed that the second passenger behind her had a protruding lower abdomen, which looked very disproportionate.
“Upon inspection, we found 2 kilograms of live insects, bound and hidden in a stocking, around her waist.
“We also found four bags of live insects packaged in plastic bags in the pockets and backpack of the third passenger travelling with her; these were identified as bamboo worms.”
