A Hong Kong man was allegedly caught carrying 22 air guns and thousands of pellets by Shenzhen customs officials as he tried to enter mainland China on Sunday, mainland media reported.

The man, who reportedly had the items hidden inside a heavy black rucksack, had walked past the border control at a suspiciously fast speed before being stopped by officials at Futian Port, China News Service said.

The man, whose name was not given, was reluctant to have his rucksack X-rayed, and stated that he was carrying only “everyday items”, which did not need to be checked or declared, the Huanggang Customs of Shenzhen said.

However an X-ray scan and closer examination by customs staff reportedly revealed that his backpack contained 22 air pistols and 6,347 lead pellets, in addition to many gun parts.

A preliminary investigation had found that the man had been hired to carry the weapons and ammunition into Shenzhen, the report said.