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A routine inspection of a vehicle by Shanghai traffic police resulted in the seizure of five pangolins.

The incident occurred on June 6th, according to the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA).

When the suspect, identified as “Zhang”, attempted to convince the officers that the pangolins were instead moles, the Shanghai Jinshan District, Bureau of Forestry staff was called in, and confirmed that the animals were indeed pangolins — a nationally protected species.

Zhang confessed that he purchased the pangolins in Sanming City, Fujian Province, and was planning to sell them in Shanghai.

The pangolins were handed over to the Jinshan District of Conservation and Management of Wild Fauna and Flora (it’s unclear whether they were still alive or not), and the suspect is accused of illegal hunting, transporting, and selling a nationally protected species.

“Pangolins in Peril” video by TRAFFIC Southeast Asia: