A tourist was caught with three live snakes stuffed down his pants at an airport in Thailand.

Shehan Malmala Baduge, 29, was checking in for a flight when eagle-eyed staff noticed the suspiciously large bulge in his crotch in Bangkok on July 2.

X-ray scans found no illegal items in the holidaymaker's bags. However, when officers frisked his clothes, they discovered three ball pythons tucked into his underwear.

The protected reptiles, which require permits to be imported or exported, were coiled inside a mesh pouch. Each creature was around 12 inches long.

Police at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport detained the suspected smuggler, from Colombo, Sri Lanka, and seized the three trouser snakes, which were all healthy and taken into care.

They said the arrest came following a tip-off from wildlife agencies that flagged Shehan as a known animal trafficker.

Shehan, who told police he was a professional dog trainer, was previously arrested for a wildlife smuggling case in his home country last year.

Polawee Buchakiet, director of the Wildlife Crime Intelligence Centre, said: 'Officers informed the suspect that he violated Section 23 of the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act for attempting to export controlled wildlife without permission from the director-general.

‘He also violated Sections 242, 166, and 252 of the Customs Act for attempting to export goods that had not yet undergone customs clearance.

‘He was taken into custody for further interrogation.'

Officials said that Shehan arrived on Thai Airways flight TG308 from Colombo on July 1 at 12.06 am. The next day at 6pm, he left his accommodation and took a taxi back to the airport for his return flight.

During questioning, the suspect said he had received the reptiles from a local man and showed officers messages exchanged between the two of them.

He was remanded in custody while the investigation continued.

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation added: 'This arrest is a message to international wildlife trafficking gangs that Thailand is not an illegal wildlife trade route, and strict action will be taken to reduce wildlife crimes both domestically and internationally in the future.'

Thailand is a key hub for wildlife smuggling due to its strategic location, with porous borders to other Southeast Asian countries.

Ball pythons, also known as royal pythons, are one of the most popular pet snakes due to their docile nature.

However, officials at the airport they are likely to become stressed when forced into confined spaces for long periods of time, such as flights.