Reptiles smuggled in garden gnomes

SYDNEY, Australia -- What's in a gnome? For surprised Australian customs officials, the answer was snakes and lizards.

During a routine check of international mail June 10, an officer discovered two snakes and three lizards stuffed inside three of the diminutive garden figurines in a shipment from Britain.

"When the package was opened, the officer spotted several snakes moving about. The package was immediately resealed," Australian customs said Tuesday in a statement.

A day later, officials at the same facility X-rayed another package from Britain and found five snakes and five lizards stuffed inside pottery figures and other ornaments.

Both packages had been had been declared as gifts.

It was not immediately clear what types of snakes and lizards were in the shipments.

It is illegal to bring live reptiles into Australia without a license. No one was arrested over the incident, but customs said its investigation was continuing.

Wildlife smuggling carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and fines of up to $92,000 if convicted.

The reptiles had to be euthanized due to quarantine regulations.