Recently, in Boang, Shenzhen, an incoming passenger's luggage van examination showed unusual images and was carefully intercepted and checked by customs officers. The result was alarming, with over 200 insects being seized once at Shenzhen Airport “unpretty”, involving 15 different species. This is the single most widely detected species of alien species at Shenzhen airport and the largest number of beetle “inverted” since this year.
“In the suitcases, we found a layer of clothing covered and, when lifted, a large number of plastic bags were released into the curtains, each containing a live insect, and even some of the insects had climbed out of the plastic bags.” The seizure was described in detail by a customs officer at Shenzhen Boang Airport, Ding Chonglin. These live insects are diverse and include live spiders, live mantis, insect eggs and live beetles. It is particularly noteworthy that five of these living insects, such as the Gokassian Southern Worm, Stephens, and the Giant forknails, are not naturally distributed in the country and are therefore alien species.
The client stated that he had been commissioned to carry the living insects in order to sell them in the country for profit. The client has paid the cost of air tickets for his entry and specifically advised him not to declare it to customs. Once clearance has been completed, he will be further informed of the delivery of the living insects. However, the potential harm caused by the invasion of these alien species cannot be ignored. Once alien species lose the limits of their natural enemies in the new environment, they may become genuine invaders with multiple negative effects. These include possible economic losses, such as reduced crop yields and damaged irrigation systems; potential threats to human health, such as disease, allergies and even death; and unpredictable ecological environmental impacts, such as deterioration in water quality and destruction of species diversity.