RP Online reports that employees at Moscow Airport found the bag containing the reptiles when the passenger arrived in Russia.

The man had packed the animals in a small bag before flying from Düsseldorf, the Environmental Protection Agency in Moscow said on Tuesday.

When entering Russia, the man stated that he had bought the non-poisonous snakes at a market in Germany.

However, because the passenger lacked the correct documents, the reptiles were placed in quarantine in Moscow.

The federal police in Germany said no incident had been reported, so there had likely been no problems at the security check before departure in Düsseldorf.

Carrying snakes in hand luggage is not illegal, a spokesman said. However, you do need the necessary documents to carry the reptiles on a flight.

When entering Russia with snakes, the authorities require additional documents, including from vets, the newspaper reports.

It's not the first time lately that airline passengers' items have caused curiosity. 

Last month, a security alert was sparked at Berlin's Schönefeld Airport due to a passenger carrying a suitcase full of sex toys. 

Staff had become suspicious after the owner of a large bag was reluctant to discuss what was inside, insisting it was full of “technical stuff”. 

While investigating the bag further, security staff became concerned the contents could be explosive, and the entire Terminal D was shut down and evacuated while the authorities carried out checks.