Snakes Smuggled Using Garden Ghomes

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 on 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.