Vietnamese cobra makes Russian fined

Customs in Tyumen, a Russian city located more than 2,000km from Moscow, seized a shipment of banned goods from Vietnam from residents of this area.

Snake and scorpion pickles on a stall in Vietnam. Photo: Fotolia/ints

Passengers flying back from Vietnam have been trying to smuggle unusual souvenirs through border customs: jars of cobras and scorpions soaked in wine.

The animals in the jars are representatives of tropical animals that are threatened with extinction and are protected by an international convention banning the trade in endangered species.

The strange souvenir boxes were confiscated, and the Russians face administrative proceedings. They will have to pay a fine equal to half the value of the confiscated souvenirs.

According to Sputnik