The 43-year-old was spotted with “something in his trousers that did not belong there”, officers at Berlin Schönefeld Airport said.

The man, due to fly from Germany to Israel, turned out to have a 16-inch-long boa constrictor stowed in a bag hidden in his waistband.

The snake was confiscated because he was “unable to provide any relevant documents” and the man is now facing a fine.

Boas are protected animals under the Washington Convention and cannot be imported and exported from the EU without permission.