A 22-year-old Saudi man was stopped at Cairo airport after boarding an airplane bound to Saudi Arabia, when his carry-on bags were found to have been filled with live snakes, baby crocodiles and chameleons.

According to security officials, they became suspicious when the man's bags were taken to the X-ray machine and found odd readings. Police officials opened the bags and found large number of reptiles with one cobra, trying to escape.

The Saudi man was allowed to board the airplane but the reptiles were confiscated and turned over to the Cairo Zoo for inspection and proper care.

Police said the Saudi man did not know that transporting live reptiles out of Egypt is illegal. He just said that snakes, crocodiles and chameleons will be used in a Saudi university for scientific experiments.