This is the surprising moment when customs officers who decide to check a suspicious-looking man discover he has not just one but nine tortoises hidden in his underpants.

The eagle-eyed customs officials noticed the man seemed to be slightly leaning forward and had a suspiciously large crotch when they asked to check his baggage at the Luohu District of Shenzhen, located in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong and bordering Hong Kong to the south.

When they checked his clothing they found not just one but nine of the leopard tortoises. Which are popular for smuggling in the pet trade because of the large size and attractive colouring.

An adult leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) can weigh up to 13 kilogrammes (29 lbs) and they are increasingly popular in the pet trade.

The man had come through after travelling from Hong Kong into the local port but the strange way he was walking apparently made the customs officers suspicious.

A spokesman for the Customs Control Board said that the leopard tortoise. Is a species listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

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Online commentators like ‘Trick Treaters, Don’t Make Trouble’ said: “He’s not afraid of being bitten.”

And user ‘Bean Sprouts’ said: “You’re not even afraid of biting yourself to be able to hide in such a big place. It seems the space is big enough.”

While the user ‘Happiness’ added: “Congratulations to the customs, it’s amazing!”