In Australia, the skimpy swimming trunks are called "budgie smugglers," but the phrase could be given a different meaning after custom authorities at the Sydney airport reported Wednesday that they discovered a passenger trying to smuggle 16 wild-bird eggs by hiding it in his crotch.

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The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service narrated in a statement that a 39 year old passenger from Czech Republic reportedly arrived Tuesday from Dubai when the airport authorities picked him for a baggage inspection.

Custom officials conducted a thorough search of the man, and they purportedly discovered that there were a total of 16 small eggs hidden in his groin.

The alleged bird smuggler, whose name is still undisclosed, was scheduled to appear in a court on Sydney on Wednesday to face charges under Australia's environmental protection laws for attempting to bring into the country the regulated live species without authorization. If convicted, the man will have to face up to 10 years in jail and pay 170,000 Australian dollars ($157,000) in penalty.

There are no reports about what kind of birds he was attempting to smuggle, but it could allegedly be budgies, or small parrots that are often referred to as budgerigars or common pet parakeet. This species is the third most popular pet in the world, next to the domesticated mammals like dogs and cats.

The authorities have yet to identify the real species of the eggs that were hidden beneath the man's trousers.

Wildlife smuggling is illegal in almost all countries, including Australia. The Interpol reported that international wildlife trading is generating $10 to 20 billion every year. A lot of animal species became endangered or totally extinct because of this illegal activity.    

The policy in the international trade of wildlife in Australia is regulated under Part 13A of the country's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.