A woman stopped by customs officials on a bus into China was found to have banned walrus tucks stuffed down her knickers.
The 50-year-old passenger was stopped at Russia's Zabaikalsk checkpoint after customs officials noticed how uncomfortable she looked while she was sitting.
A strip search revealed three kilos of the chopped up tusks of the marine mammal stashed in her tights and panties, local media reported on 15th April.
The woman, not named by customs officials, told investigators she had brought the banned ivory at a market and had planned to make jewellery from it.
Passenger with tusks in her underwear detained at Chinese border in Russia, undated. According to the passenger, she bought the tusks at the market in Zabaikalsk for home crafts. Note: Customs photo. (@customs_rf/Newsflash/NX)
A customs police spokesperson said: "She said she didn't know that permits were required for export.
"An examination confirmed that the items were unprocessed fragments of walrus tusks."
The woman is facing charges of hiding contraband from customs officers and failing to comply with wildlife trafficking regulations.
Walruses are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of at risk species.
(Clive Goodman / newsX)