Number of intercepted invasive species surges

Exit-entry inspection and quarantine officers in Beijing stopped more than 10,000 consignments of banned animals, plants and other items between January and March, an increase of 35 percent compared with the same period last year.

A total of 667 consignments contained harmful pests, such as seed weevil, a near fourfold increase, according to the Beijing Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau.

With the rapid development of cross-border e-commerce and the increasing popularity of cross-border tourism, authorities face challenges in ensuring biosafety at border ports, Chong Yan, the bureau's director of animal and plant inspection supervision, said on Tuesday.