Customs agents have seized 16 live lizards hidden inside a female passenger's bra as she attempted to smuggle them across China.

The unnamed woman had been trying to traffic the reptiles into the neighbouring country of Hong Kong when she was caught on the Chinese mainland side of the border.

As she shuffled through customs checks at Futian Port inspectors noticed her incredibly baggy clothes and forced her to undergo a strip search.

And when she peeled off, they discovered five mesh bags placed inside her bra containing 16 rare sail-finned lizards.

Video footage from the customs department shows agents taking the lizards out of the bags and placing them inside large, plastic containers while waiting for wildlife experts to take over.

The sailfin lizard (Hydrosaurus amboinensis), or sailfin dragon, is a group of large iguana-like reptiles named after the sail-like structure on their tails.

Native to Indonesia and the Philippines, they are commonly found living near water and are threatened by both habitat loss and exotic pet trade. Sizes vary with the largest males growing up to three-and-a-half feet long while the females are smaller.