Chinese customs seizes tree pests

NANJING -- Customs authorities in East China's Jiangsu province said Thursday customs officers had intercepted several kinds of pests from a Panamanian vessel.

One of the pests is Platypus cavicepts, an alien species intercepted by Chinese customs for the first time, according to sample tests sent by the Nantong Customs to the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine.

The pest found in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea is parasitic on beech trees, posing a threat to forestry resources and the ecological environment.

Other intercepted pests include a rubber wood timber pest, Xyleborus affinis, and the dangerous pest Platypus parallelus.

The customs has put the vessel under supervision.