Forty nine people were detained and more than 200 tonnes of smuggled frozen meat seized today by coast guards in south China's Hainan Province.
Officers got a tip-off on July 13 that a large amount of smuggled frozen meat from Vietnam would be transported to the provincial capital Haikou the next day by sea, via the Beibu Gulf in the southwestern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
On July 14, 200 tonnes of smuggled chickens' feet, pigs' feet and tongues were confiscated at a dock in Haikou city.
All 49 suspects involved in the case were apprehended by July 20, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The suspects confessed that they had planned to sell the meat in the Pearl River Delta Region, the coast guard said.
The market price of the seized meat was not immediately known.
Six vehicles and a boat were also seized from the suspects, the provincial coast guard authority said.
Smuggling affects domestic food production, contributes to tax evasion, and poses serious food safety hazards.
