Beijing customs officials recently seized nearly 1,000 live ants being shipped in test tubes from Germany, one of several cases reported in China over the past weeks.

Authorities believe the ants were intended to be sold as pets, the Beijing Times reported Tuesday.

The parcels were declared only as "test tubes," however a close inspection revealed glass vials each housing a single black ant, Beijing custom agents told reporters.

Though the species was not identified, the largest ant was over 1 centimeter in length, media reported.

Chinese law forbids the import of any live species without receiving prior approval from relevant authorities.

In early November, People's Daily Online reported that custom agents in Chengdu, Sichuan Province seized some 800 live ants in similar glass tubes, also imported from Germany.

Online sales of ants and other insects as pets has risen in recent years, most of which are alien species and pose a potential threat to the local ecosystem.

Specimens of an ant species native to Australia can be purchased for more than 10,000 yuan ($1,600) on China's e-commerce platform taobao.com, media reported.