Beijing quarantine authorities intercept lethal frogs

Beijing quarantine authorities seized 10 extremely dangerous frogs that secrete toxins earlier this month in a parcel sent from Poland.

The live frogs included three types of poison dart frogs. A gram of toxin produced by the golden poison dart frog, the most deadly of the haul, is enough to kill 15,000 humans, said a spokesperson with the Beijing Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau.

The brightly-colored frogs were contained in plastic containers and declared as "clothes and gifts." The boxes were wrapped in clothes and newspaper in an attempt to fool the X-ray scanners.

In September 2015, the bureau intercepted a poison dart frog in a parcel mailed from Hong Kong.

Several types of the poison dart frog family are included in the red list of threatened species of International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The spokesperson said checks on parcels will be intensified to curb illegal wildlife trade. Endi