Look! Smuggled Burmese Pythons Hidden In Pants, On A Bus

Okay, let's get this out in the open right away. I do not like snakes. Sure, they are a part of our world, and that's fine, but just stay out of my path. It's been a long time, but when I was younger, from time to time I would have nightmares of being surrounded by snakes. Kind of like the scene in the movie 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' with Harrison Ford.

I'm sure most people have no issues with snakes. My wife loves them. There are many who have snakes as pets. And then there are some people who smuggle snakes into the country, illegally. That was the case recently, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Northern District of New York State.

According to the Attorney's Office, a resident of Richmond Hill, New York, was charged with smuggling three Burmese Pythons into the Champlain Port of Entry. This person rode a bus crossing into the United States from Canada with the snakes hidden in his pants. My first question is, how did this person think no one would notice?

And why would someone do this? Well, depending on their size and markings, Burmese Pythons can sell from 200 to thousands of dollars. These snakes have become a problem in the State of Florida where irresponsible owners have turned the animals loose, causing the elimination of several native animals. Some areas in Florida offer bounties for killing Burmese Pythons.

The Attorney's Office states that the charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that the defendant is innocent unless and until proven guilty. But if convicted, smuggling those Burmese Pythons could carry a fine of up to $250,000, up to 20 years in prison, and probation of up to three years.

Snakes smuggled in a person's pants. There's got to be a lot of jokes to make out of that line.

[via U.S. Attorney's Office in the Northern District of New York State]