Taiwanese woman caught smuggling 24 gerbils strapped to legs

The rodents were covered by a long skirt

A Taiwanese woman was caught with 24 gerbils strapped to her legs (Coast Guard Administration)

A Taiwanese woman walking awkwardly through a customs checkpoint was discovered with 24 gerbils strapped to her legs.

The traveller, who had been visiting mainland China, was caught with the rodents at customs on the island of Kinmen, which is administered by Taiwan.

According to the Taiwan East Coast Guard, officials noticed the woman had an ”abnormal proportion”, and was pulled aside for questioning.

Officials then discovered that hidden under her skirt were 24 gerbils, which the woman claimed she had bought in a China pet shop for a friend.

The gerbils were hidden under the woman's skirt (Coast Guard Administration)

The gerbil haul could fetch between 300 and 1,000 Chinese yuan (£34 – £114), according to the coast guard.

The incident was transferred to the Kinmen District Prosecutor’s Office for further investigation.

It’s not the first time that travellers have tried to smuggle live animals through customs.

In January, The Independent reported that a man tried to smuggle a boa snake in his pants through Berlin Schonefeld airport. He was trying to fly to Israel with it.

Earlier the same month, a Singaporean man travelling from Malaysia to Singapore was caught smuggling four live kittens in his trousers. He was caught when border officials heard a “meowing” coming from his trousers, and noticed a suspiciously oversized bulge.